Chuck vs The Missing Spies
by 2old2write
Summary: Casey and Verbanski are missing. Chuck and Sarah are reluctant to rejoin the spy life. Can any of them survive crotchety UN official, Somali pirates, corrupt military officers and old adversaries they don't even know yet? Adventure, romance, and lots of Charah, Canski, and Morgalex.
1. Setting Up

A/N: I've been working on this story for about nine months now, so I guess it's time to birth this baby. I am awed by all the terrific writers of Chuck and Sarah fan fiction who write a chapter, post it, and then go back to the computer and write the next. I can't seem to get the hang of that and end up writing the entire story, editing it several times, and then slowly start posting.

I am nowhere nearly as accomplished a writer as most on here, but I am enjoying trying to add to the lore of our favorite tv show and it's amazing characters. I hope, as you read this, you will overlook whatever errors and lack of writing skills you notice, and just look for the pure enjoyment I get in doing this. I have no great moral intent, nor did I delve deeply into the characters psyches'. It is meant merely as a romantic adventure tale.

_Chuck vs The Bright Light_ was my first story and was intended as catharsis for my disappointment in the end of the show, both the cancellation, and the pain of leaving Sarah without her memories. Therefore, it is my Season 6, Episode 1. You don't necessarily have to read _CvBright Light_ before reading this one, but it will fill in a few holes along the way.

When I began thinking this story through, I thought it would be another 8-10 chapter work like my previous two. But it has taken on a life of it's own. I will post it all as one story but have, in my own mind divided it into two parts, thus giving us Season 6, Episodes 2 and 3. It is all written but only the first half is edited. Maybe, if anyone reviews it and makes suggestions, the second half will undergo a rewrite. Who knows? I've already thrown out a twist at the very end in order to just bring it to an end. So we shall see what the fanfic Gods bring me.

Some of the places this story visits are real and some are made up. It really doesn't add much to explore which are which. Italics indicate thoughts by a particular character. The time bounces around for awhile so watch out for that. Anytime it indicates a previous time (i.e. one month earlier), that is taken from the most recent "The Present" indicator. Hope that makes sense.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy it. Either way, please review.

I almost own my home, and I do own my car, but, unfortunately, nothing to do with _Chuck_.

**Chuck vs The Missing Spies**

Season 6, Episode 2

Here are some thing you may need to know or have just forgotten.

After Chuck found her on the beach and told her their story, Sarah left and returned to the CIA. Chuck, completely despondent, was involved in a near fatal car accident. Sarah's memories slowly returned as she visited her Mom, retrained for the CIA, and worked with her Dad again. She was gradually realizing Chuck was her true home when Morgan called her about Chuck's accident, and she rushed back to Burbank. As he moved closer and closer to the _Bright Light_ of death, Sarah desperately called him back. Despite his physical injuries and her memory gaps, they reconnected in love.

**Chapter 1**

**1. January 24, 2013 The Present **_**Carmichael Industries**_

Casey and Verbanski were missing. There was no doubt something had gone wrong on their mission to Swinbitia, in east central Africa. They had been gone twenty days on, a mission that should have only taken seven to ten. More upsetting: they had not checked in since day fourteen. _Verbanski Corp_ headquarters had not heard from them; _Carmichael Industries_ had not heard from them; General Beckman had not heard from them; the UN had not heard from them. This was not good and all concerned were worried.

"Chuck, are you sure you have searched all the possible contacts?" Sarah's voice showed the stress they were all feeling.

"Yes, Sarah, I've checked them all multiple times!" Chuck, too, was irritated and frustrated. "I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Honey ... it's me. I haven't been this worried in a long time." Sarah moved over to Chuck's desk and gently laid her hands on his shoulders. He reached up with his right hand to touch her left hand. Together, they shared a moment of tenderness.

"I need a break. How about we get some lunch?"

"Sounds good. Chuck, I know we need to continue monitoring the situation, but let's forward the information to our phones and take the afternoon off. Between your therapy, my still incomplete memories, and now John and Gertrude missing, we haven't had much time to be a couple. Let's indulge ourselves a little."

"Great. Let me grab my cane and tell Morgan we are leaving for the day. Meet you at the elevator."

A couple minutes later, hand in hand, and with smiles on both their faces, Chuck and Sarah left the _Carmichael Industries_ offices for lunch and some well deserved R & R.

**2. December 28, 2013 One month earlier **_**Verbanski Corp**_** (LA offices)**

_Verbanski Corp_ had been hired to escort three members of a United Nations fact finding team to Swinbitia, a small Africa nation born of the many wars in that part of the world. The usual suspicions and rumors of inhumane treatment of refugees had to be verified or refuted by the UN. When the Under-under-undersecretary of African Affairs at the UN had called to inquire of their availability, one of the terms was that Gertrude Verbanski personally lead the escort team. That would be no problem, she assured him.

General Beckman called Gertrude the following morning. "Ms. Verbanski, I understand you have been hired to escort an UN delegation to Swinbitia. I would like to talk to you about the possibility of a piggyback assignment for the CIA/NSA."

"That's pretty unusual General. Don't you have plenty of operatives?"

"As you well know, we lost our two best recently, in John Casey and Sarah Walker … Bartowski. We do have agents; but not with the expertise of those two … or you yourself. We need to keep this off the books but you will be paid well. I assume you will be using Colonel Casey on this mission?"

"Of course. I know that's one of the reasons you have called _Verbanski Corp_. So, let's hear your mission and proposal."

The two women spent about an hour looking at the mission and how to proceed before Gertrude agreed they could make this work, and General Beckman agreed to _VCorp_'s fees.

**3. January 24, 2013 The Present LA Boardwalk**

Chuck and Sarah decided to go to the Boardwalk for lunch and a relaxing afternoon. There were plenty of good eateries and they could sit outside where the sun and sea would be a relaxing diversion. Part of Chuck's therapy for his leg was to walk so this also offered an opportunity for them to get in his workout while enjoying the scenery and, of course, each other's company. Others in the restaurant, or out walking, were drawn by their laughter, stunning good looks, and obvious love. They brought smiles to all who saw them.

The Boardwalk was about a mile up the coast from 'their beach', one of the most important places in Chuck and Sarah's life together. Much of the foundation of their relationship was built upon their times at the beach. Three times it had brought them together in times of stress and pain.

After their 'first date', over five years ago, Chuck had completely freaked out and went to his favorite quiet place ... this beach ... where he sat all night long, completely lost, and without a clue how his life would .. or even could … continue. Sarah had followed and watched from a distance, all night, before joining him just after sun up. For the first time, she asked him to trust her and he knew there was something special about this woman.

A year ago Sarah's life was completely shattered and she left Chuck because she didn't know what else to do. The memories of the previous five years were gone, yet she knew, at least in her mind, there was more to this man ... this family ... this life ... than she could just throw away. Not knowing why, or even how she got there, Sarah ended up in the same spot on the same beach. Sitting there, she felt completely lost, wondering what to do next.

Chuck, at Morgan's urging, had sought her out. His heart told him she would be in this place and found her just before sundown. He joined her, as she had once joined him, and asked her to now trust him. After listening to their story and sharing their first magical kiss ... that didn't really work ... Sarah left, knowing there was something special about this place, and more importantly, something special about this man. But, still, she left him.

A convoluted chain of events brought them back together once again and then, for the third time, Sarah brought Chuck back to this place, this time at midday. They were both still seriously wounded: he was still in a wheelchair and she still had too many holes in her memories. But Sarah asked him to once again trust her ... and to love her ... and to stay with her … forever and ever. The past wasn't complete by any means but their life together was no longer a mystery to her. Chuck enthusiastically agreed, adding, as he had at their wedding, that he would prove it to her every day for the rest of their lives.

They shared their 'second magical kiss' then. It still wasn't Morgan's magical kiss that would restore all her memories instantly. But it was the magical kiss of two people completely and honestly in love with each other and who wanted to spend the rest of their lives together … trusting … and protecting … and loving. Together they reaffirmed just how special they were to each other.

Now, as they rebuilt their life together, they came to the beach often. They saw the ocean, in all it's vastness, as a symbol of their lives together and their love for one another. Some days they would walk, on others they would sit; sometimes talking, sometimes in silence. But in every way, they were together. Rarely were they ever out of physical contact with each other either: they walked hand in hand with their fingers interlaced, or Chuck would put his arm around her shoulders and Sarah draped hers around his waist. When they would stop, they would embrace and exchange small kisses. People everywhere noticed them: the beauty of this couple, so intensely in love, was completely beguiling.

On this day, Chuck did not feel up to walking in the sand so they casually walked along the Boardwalk, out over the water, enjoying the sun, watching the birds swooping around after food. They did not discuss their problem at work but it was constantly in the back of their minds. About three in the afternoon Chuck took Sarah in his arms and kissed her gently. "Baby, let's go home. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long, long day."

"I'm with you, Chuck ... wherever ... whenever … you go." And they walked back to their car, as always, hand in hand.

**4. October 29, 2013 Three months earlier Echo Park**

It had not been hard for Casey to find Verbanski after he left Castle that day back in February. She had made it clear, when she left for Dresden, that she wanted him to be with her. She knew Team Bartowski was breaking up due to the tragedy with Agent Walker and began leaving him clues to find her. Their reunion at _Verbanski Corp_ headquarters in Prague was warm and genuine. Soon, the former NSA agent, Colonel John Casey, was Gertrude Verbanski's lead agent and constant companion. She also insisted he move in with her immediately.

They spent time at each of the _VCorp_ headquarters in Prague, Moscow, Paris, Madrid, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, depending on what contracts they were working on at the time. Verbanski had also learned to enjoy whatever city they were visiting, something Casey found disconcerting at first, but was beginning to appreciate. Despite her efforts, Casey did not allow any PDA at any time. He still couldn't believe, or understand, how open Walker had become over the years with Bartowski. But in the privacy of their apartment or hotel room, he proved to be an exciting lover. He never used the words but Verbanski knew just how he felt about her by his actions.

Most of their jobs were security details: bodyguards for this dignitary, security for that business, state-of-the-art security system installations for businesses and governments alike. There were also assignments from the US Government, primarily through General Diane Beckman. Often, security and technical assistance contracts were subcontracted to _Carmichael Industries_. _CI_, in turn, would send 'boots on the ground' work to _VCorp_. All parties involved were pleased to be working together. It gave Chuck and Sarah a chance to see Casey and for Casey to see Alex … and Morgan. They were all pleased, especially Sarah, to bring Gertrude into their circle of associates, as well as a new friend.

Sarah had been a loner for most of her years with the CIA. Her associates, from her recruiter, Graham, through her handler, Ryker, and Bryce, to Chuck and Casey, had always been men. Carina and Zondra, from her CAT Squad days, were still friends but, with their own jobs, weren't around much. Otherwise she had no female friends. She had had a great relationship with Ellie, but it was long distance now, both by distance and the events of a year ago. Sarah's insecurities, stemming from those terrible days when she threatened Ellie and tried to kill Chuck, kept her at a distance. Being a Bartowski, Ellie reassured her that all was forgiven, but it was difficult for Sarah to relax and let the incident pass. She was also building a good friendship with Alex but couldn't share her work as a spy like she could with Carina or Zondra. So Gertrude was fast becoming her go-to gal when there were doubts or problems that were spy related. Gertrude had the highest regard for Sarah's spy craft and was now proud to count her as a friend.

Several times since Casey had joined _Verbanski Corp,_ they had called Sarah to join them on a job. Sarah had dropped a hint, while at the hospital with Chuck, that she would be open to working with them at some point. However, the first couple of times they asked, she declined, explaining that she didn't want to leave Chuck while he was still recovering from his accident.

It was Chuck that answered the phone, because Sarah was out shopping, when Casey called this time. "Hey, Casey! It's been a while."

"Hello, Bartowski. How's the recovery coming along?"

"Doing lots better. We've gotten rid of the wheelchair and minivan. Now I only have to use a cane if I'm going to be doing a lot of walking or there are stairs involved."

"And how's Walker?"

"Things are great. She's really starting to fill in a lot of details. She still works out hard as well, and I think she's really starting to miss the action."

"That happens, let me tell you. Actually, that's why I'm calling. We have a small job and would like her to join us on it. No traveling involved as it's in LA, but it will mean a couple of overnight stakeouts and possibly a little interaction with the marks. You think you can separate yourselves long enough for her to join us?"

"Casey, I think that's a wonderful idea, but you will have to ask her yourself. She's pretty possessive of our time together right now."

"I know that and I'm glad I caught you while she's away. We've called a couple of times before and she flat turned us down.

"Wh-wh-whoa? You've asked before and she turned you down? I'm sorry, Casey, she didn't tell me."

"I think she's scared to leave you. Maybe you can talk to her?"

"Now that really scares me. I'm not sure if I'm more afraid of her going back out into the field, or of her going all ninja spy girl on me if I bring it up."

"Ungh." Chuck could tell that was Casey's chuckle grunt. He and Morgan had made an extensive catalog of Casey's grunting and had it down to a science. Length, volume, pitch, and lip curl all had to be accounted for when interpreting them. Chuck could still hear a lot of the old Casey in their conversation but he could also hear just how relaxed his old NSA handler had become. _I'll bet he even goes to the bathroom now without his gun,_ Chuck thought with a chuckle.

"Tell you what, Casey: I'll talk to her. And if I survive, I'll make sure she calls you back. If you don't hear from her, start watching for my obituary. And, I can't promise you she will agree. That's the best I can do."

"Fair enough. Glad you're doing better and that her memories are coming back. I've been spoiled by working with the two best spies in the world. See you." Chuck was taken aback by that last statement but the abrupt end to the phone call showed him the old Casey was still lurking nearby.

**5. January 5, 2013 Three weeks earlier **_**Crowne Plaza Nbora Hotel, **_**Swinbitia**

The _Verbanski Corp_ Gulfstream touched down at the Nbora Airport in southern Swinbitia just after noon, local time. Verbanski had insisted she transport the UN officials in her own jet. This way she and her team would have all their own equipment already pre-packed and would have complete control of the UN team's movements from the very beginning.

Two, specially designed, black SUV's had been shipped in in advance for transporting the seven people, three UN officials, Verbanski, Casey and two more _Verbanski Corp_ operatives, to the _Crowne Plaza Nbora Hotel_. Once they settled in, Verbanski gathered them all in her suite for the initial briefing. The lead UN official was Anselmo Giordano, a former Italian ambassador to Kenya and Somalia. He would be contacting the local constabulary to set up the visitations that were to begin the following afternoon. The other two UN officials were Ambassador Giordano's assistant, Senor Rafael Montez and Dr. Julian Alverez, a United Nations liaison with _Doctors Without Borders_. The rest of the day was used to overcome the jet lag and get their bodies acclimated to the local cuisine.

The next morning Verbanski called the team together: "Okay gentlemen, let's get started." She was an intimidating women and used that to her advantage when in meetings with powerful men. This was especially necessary when the men were from societies or cultures that did not recognize women as equals.

Ambassador Giordano was an accomplished and worldly man, but definitely old school: he bristled with indignation as Gertrude opened the meeting. "While I appreciate Ms. Verbanski's expertise in security, I do not understand why she is leading this meeting. I have not spent a lifetime as a diplomat to be lectured by a policewomen."

"Ambassador, we are not here to discuss politics or the fate of the peoples we are here to inspect. We are here, now, to plan our travels through the country to the camps. For this we need the expertise of Ms. Verbanski and her security team." Senor Montez was attempting to play peacemaker between these two powerful personalities. The Ambassador gave him a sour look but waved his hand at Verbanski to continue, while turning to sit facing away from her.

Casey had also started to stand when the Ambassador was saying his piece. He had already taken a dislike to the Ambassador so he was ready for a fight. Casey's imposing presence was not necessary for Gertrude to successfully complete this mission but they had worked out a system that let him add an additional male presence when needed. Hopefully, the ambassador got the message, in no uncertain terms, that he needed to pay attention, because these experts may be what would save all their lives.

"Alright, we will need to work closely with the locals…." The meeting went on for two hours and, in the end, everyone involved was confident in the plan. Now if the locals would just cooperate.


	2. Tears, Doubts, and Love

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this new story, and/or added it to your favorites. This chapter is still part of the set, giving more background of the Verbanski Corp mission, and how Chuck and Sarah continue to move together. Hope you all enjoy! Please review so I know what you think. It is such a great inspiration to hear from all you wonderful Chuck fanfic readers and authors. To the powers that be: I don't own any of these characters but please don't sue me, you won't really get much.

**II. Tears, Doubts, and Love**

**Scene 6: October 29, 2013  
****Three months earlier  
****Echo Park**

Whenever Sarah went out by herself Chuck always added about an hour to the trip because he knew she would take the Lotus out on the highway and let it run. It was a great adrenaline rush for her; her one indulgence in excitement these days. He also knew it still rankled her to be driving the Lotus and hoped she would soon trade it in for another Porsche. Despite the years of the CIA providing travel and living expenses, her many more years as a conman's daughter, living from scam to scam, still kept her from relaxing about their financial situation. True, they had a lot tied up in the business, but since Beckman had gotten their accounts unfrozen, they were, after all, multi-millionaires. Chuck knew how much she loved to scream down the highway, top down, the distinctive Porsche engine roaring, her beautiful blonde hair blowing freely. And her joy was his joy: to watch her smile and laugh stirred him to his very core, beyond anything he could have ever imagined before she came into his life. The Lotus gave her a decent rush but it just wasn't the same.

It didn't surprise him today when Sarah took more than two hours just to go to the grocery store, which was only two blocks away. She returned home with both arms full of groceries and a big smile on her face. There was still had more in the car but she refused to let Chuck help her carry it in, so he began putting things away while she went back out for the rest. He also made her a cup of tea and once things were all put away, they sat down on the sofa to cuddle. This had become a favorite time and place for them, sometimes sitting and watching television, at other times talking: about work, about each other, about their past and, more importantly, their future. They had even had a few intense make out sessions that left them both wanting more, but afraid to push the other too far. But whatever they did, they always did it sitting as close together as possible, their hands instantly seeking each other out so their fingers could intertwine. When one or the other would lay down, it would always be with their head in the other's lap; and still their hands would find each other. Much of their communication was done silently, just as it had been through their years as spies.

On this day they sat down and it was obvious to Sarah that Chuck wanted to talk. She knew he would have to work his way up to speaking aloud whatever was on his mind. Yes, like always, he mostly just bubbled out whatever was on his mind. But he had become much more reserved when it came to personal matters; he didn't want to offend Sarah if he stepped on a missing memory. They were working hard to be open and carry no secrets and no lies, but it was awkward at times. The good thing was that each could read the other so well that there was no reason to hold back.

"Sarah, are you happy working at _Carmichael Industries_? I know it keeps you busy and the number of clients continues to grow, mostly due to your efforts, I might add. But is it satisfying?"

"It's really exciting, Chuck, to see more work coming our way and our business plan starting to come together. But as I've told you, sweetie, my number one priority is you."

"I know and I love you for that, hon, but don't you miss the action, at least a little bit? You continue to work out the same way as when you were a spy, but then you can't put any of those skills and conditioning into practice. Isn't that frustrating?"

"You know I've always been a health nut and love to work out, plus … I want to keep looking good for you." That last part elicited a big smile from Chuck. "It also helps me work off frustrations and think through problems. It actually helps me relax. Are you going somewhere with this, sweetie?"

"Well, uh … heh … you know … uh, yeah … I guess I am. Please don't be mad at me but … uh…." Chuck was really stammering around on this one. He could usually just spit out whatever he was thinking but he just didn't know how Sarah was going to react to this.

"Chuck … sweetie … please?" Sarah sat up and turned to face Chuck, pulling her right leg up to sit on it. Looking him right in the eyes, and holding both his hands while turning his wedding ring, Sarah tried to give him confidence to continue. She hoped her blue eyes and best smile would get him to open up.

With a big sigh he continued, "Sarah, Casey called earlier. He wants you to join him and Gertrude on a short mission. It's even right here in LA so no traveling. He also told me they have asked you before and you turned them down. Why didn't you tell me? I don't understand."

Sarah looked down at their hands and pulled her lips to the side. This was her _I've got to think this through_ look and Chuck always found it adorable, but worrisome as well. "Chuck ... honey ... I don't want to leave you here … alone." She was hesitant in her delivery: "All your family is gone … Morgan's working ridiculous hours ... so you need me to take care of you." Chuck started to speak but Sarah stopped him with her left hand to his cheek while she continued to finger his wedding ring gently. "No, wait. Listen to me. First you were kidnapped; then after rescuing you, I was taken. Even with Quinn dead, I walked out on you and you ended up almost dying in a car accident. I will never forgive myself for that. Because of the damned memory loss, I didn't know I loved you then ... but I do now … and I couldn't continue to live if anything happened to you. I'm just not ready to let you go. And … I don't ever want to be alone again either. Bad things happen when we are apart!"

Tears were flowing now, down Sarah's beautiful cheeks. Chuck reached out to wipe them away and to caress her cheek. She leaned her head into his right hand as she moved her right hand to her left and twisted her wedding rings. He knew this was a habit she had picked up during their time apart and that it was a sign of distress. Pushing a strand of her golden tresses back over her ear, he replied, "Sweetheart, the accident was not your fault … it was all me. You did what you thought was important at the time … and I accept that. Look at me: I'm doing great now. I can get around here just fine; I can even drive the company Prius. You love me and will always return … I know that. Do I want you to leave? Of course not. Will I miss you? Absolutely. Will I worry about you? Damn straight! But I'm also worried now that you are not leading an exciting, adventure filled life and will eventually come to hate all this … and me. You are the world's best spy and I'm holding you back here."

"I will never hate you, or leave you, my love." Sarah ran her hand to the back of Chuck's neck and played with his hair. They each looked longingly into the other's eyes, coming closer and closer together until their foreheads touched. They stayed that way briefly before moving gently into each other for a long, slow kiss. Sarah ran her hand through Chuck's thick hair as he gently ran his fingers down her neck.

The stirrings of their physical needs and desires were beginning to bubble to the surface as their lips held each others'. If either had pushed for more there would have been no stopping them. But then the panic began to take over. Chuck would not push her; it still felt like he had to allow her to set the pace. And Sarah still worried that she could not be the wife that he knew from before her lost memories. She could not stand to disappoint him. So they began to pull back from one another … again.

When they released the kiss Sarah laid her head on his shoulder and spoke ever so softly, her breath tickling his ear, "Chuck, I don't want you to worry at all. I love this life because it includes you. That is, and forever shall be, the most important thing in my life. The spy life was a great part of my life and brought us together, but I don't think it's worth getting involved in again. Our life is getting better and better and I want to keep it that way."

Pulling back he looked deeply into those azure eyes he loved so much. "I told Casey I would tell you. That's all I can do. But I want you to think about it some before you turn it down. We can talk about it some more if you like, but either way, you need to call him back or he will be looking for my obituary in the paper." Sarah gave him a quizzical look before they both laughed and embraced once again.

**Scene 7: January 6, 2013  
****Two and a half weeks earlier  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

The UN team met with the local police and army captains that afternoon. The locals seemed to be pleased they were being visited by such esteemed officials and assured the Ambassador and Verbanski that they would do everything possible to make their visit a success. Verbanski laid out their travel and visitation plans and those were also accepted. They would be assigned two army liaisons who would assist with vehicles, food and lodging. All seemed to be in order for their departure the following morning.

"John, something just doesn't feel right. Are you getting that too?"

"I was hoping it was just my usual distrust of everything un-American but, yes, I've been feeling that since we met with the Ambassador this morning. He's a typical bureaucratic ass who thinks he's God's gift to the universe."

"What about the locals?"

"Also self-serving asses. Actually more like clowns. Did you get a load of all those medals that army colonel was sporting? A real soldier would never do that."

"Well, I've already told Jenkins and Harvey to keep their eyes open because I think we have enemies on every side. We will need all our collective wits to get out of this, I'm afraid."

As they laid down together to get the rest necessary for tomorrow's challenges they embraced and shared a warm kiss. "See you in the morning, John."

"Ungh. Sleep well, Gertrude." Casey was awake a long time with worry and concern.

**Scene 8: November 6, 2013  
****Eleven weeks earlier  
****Echo Park**

Sarah finally relented and agreed to join Casey on the LA mission. It wasn't a big job, as he had indicated, but it did bring a thrill to Sarah to once again be in the field. But she missed Chuck, too. The only way she would agree to doing the job was if she could call him at least twice a day. Not only did they work that out but they actually had time to have lunch together the third day. When she arrived at the apartment Chuck met her at the door and the two smiles that flashed when their eyes met would have powered Los Angeles for a week. They were in each others' arms and kissing within seconds.

As they held each other Sarah whispered, "Oh, Chuck, I've missed you so. This is even harder than I thought it would be. I love you so."

"Sarah, baby, I love you, too! It's been horrible without you here. I've been so worried. I know that I shouldn't be but I can't help it. Laying in that empty bed last night, and then you didn't call ... I was a total basket case and just laid there, imagining every horrible thing that could go wrong…."

Stroking his cheek, she comforted him: "Shhhhhhh, honey, don't freak out. I'm here ... safe and sound. Let's go eat and talk." Safely getting Chuck to stop spiraling was one of Sarah's specialties, especially now that she remembered doing it so many times before. As they were walking to the table, hand in hand, several memories flashed through her brain, of meals here … with Chuck and the family. She gasped slightly with the newness, yet familiarity of them all … and of her Chuck.

They enjoyed a simple meal of salad and fruit and then adjourned to the living room for some sofa time, holding each other, caressing each other, and sharing gentle but sensuous kisses.

They still had not made love since Sarah's return in July. There had been a couple of aborted attempts, but Chuck's injuries just made it impossible, frustrating them both. Then, as he healed, Sarah's caution against making commitments brought her to near panic levels. Getting the timing right for them both was the problem: she knew he would not push her until she indicated she was ready; he could feel her touch becoming more of his wife … his Sarah … more and more familiar and less and less panicked. Sarah was finally reaching the point of no more doubts, and she ached for Chuck's touch.

This afternoon, after 30 hours of separation … their first time apart since Sarah's return in July ... their passions finally won out and the gentle touches quickly escalated. Their kisses became much more demanding and as their tongues finally touched, the need for one another went completely nuclear. The kisses deepened as their tongues and lips vied with each other for dominance, while their hands roamed freely. Sarah moaned deeply and felt goosebumps all along her arms as Chuck ran his lips down her neck and nipped along her collarbone. His hands moved along her flanks to her waist, and on down to her thighs. As the side of his face brushed past her lips she took his earlobe gently between her teeth and sucked lightly, causing his breathing to shudder and stop. At the same time she ran her hands down to his waist where she grabbed his shirt and pulled it loose. She ran her hands up his back, touching his skin, making the hair on his arms and neck to stand straight up.

Chuck suddenly pulled away, making Sarah open her eyes in concern. Smiling his best smile … the one he only used with her ... he stood up, grabbed her hands, and pulled her to her feet. Once up, he leaned into her, again connecting his lips to hers, as they moaned into each other's mouth. His mind stopped completely as she guided his hand along the collar of her blouse and then on down, along where she had strategically opened two buttons. Their bodies pressed tightly against each other again, escalating both their arousals to yet another level. Without breaking the kiss he reluctantly pulled away slightly, then moved to pick her up. "Chuck! What are you doing? Be careful, sweetie," she whispered fervently, all the while continuing to kiss his neck and ears.

"I've got you, baby. I need this … I need you." And they continued to kiss as he moved down the hall and into their bedroom.

"I … need … you … so much … Chuuuuuuuuuuuuck…."

Chuck lowered her to stand on the floor. Sarah pulled his shirt over his head and then quickly removed her blouse. She pulled him with her as she moved to sit on the bed and he leaned over her, worked his mouth from her lips to the spot on her neck that made her toes curl. He then continued on down, past her collarbone, and along the edge of her lacy bra, eliciting moans of pleasure from them both.

Sarah ran her hands through his hair and down his back, all while continuing to nibble on his neck and shoulder, making Chuck shiver in delight. He sighed deeply as her hands moved downward, reaching his pants, where she began working on loosening his belt, all while kissing his chest. Then leaning back, she threw her head back in ecstasy, gasping for air, as Chuck released her bra and it fell away. The sight of her sent his brain into complete overload as he stared, eyes wide and unblinking, in sheer awe at the incredible beauty of this women. Running her hands across this wonderful man's chest, she marveling at the joy it gave her. Blue eyes locked onto brown ones, bringing their burning desires to full combustibility.

They were each trying to restrain themselves from rushing but it just wasn't working. In such desperate need of each other, the touch of skin to skin sent them into a frenzy. Remaining clothing flew, as did their kisses and hands, and they quickly brought each other to a fevered pitch, culminating in that exhilarating moment of ultimate love. They had shared this joy in the past and both had missed it so much. Their second 'first time' was as glorious as either had ever experienced.

Chuck pulled a blanket over them as they laid together now, letting their heartbeats and breathing come back to normal. Sarah marveled at the warmth and joy she felt. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. Except … _NO! _… she did know this feeling! This was the joy she had felt each time they had made love in the past. A series of visions came rushing up as she remembered their first time in Paris, the happiness together on the train to Switzerland, the glory of the night following Chuck's proposal and their incredible wedding night. Her smile radiated like never before!

"Babe … what is it?" The feeling of her cheeks pulling into that smile, accompanied by an increase in her heart rate, and a hitch in her breathing, alerted him.

"Mmmmm, Chuck! I was just reliving all the important days and nights when we made love with each other!" As she spoke she tightened her grip on him, bringing a sense of warmth roaring through his body. It warmed Chuck's heart to hear her say 'made love _with_ … rather than _to_ … each other.

"Sweetie … you remember those times?" Chuck moved to look deeply into her amazing blue eyes and saw her overwhelming joy and love.

"Every last detail! And Chuck," she continued to look up into his big, brown eyes, shining with love and devotion, "I don't want to stop making more memories."

Chuck leaned down to kiss her and they began, once again, to arouse each other. This time it was slow and gentle. The urgency had been spent but the all encompassing desire burned just as hot as ever.

A/N2: Several have noted the M rating I gave this. I was unsure of what to do in this area so picked this rating, just in case. I certainly didn't want to offend anyone or get in trouble with the wrong rating. Now that you've read Scene 8, what do you think? Thanks for your input.


	3. Anger and Interruptions

A/N: Thanks, everyone, for the kind reviews and comments. Now that several of you have weighed in on the rating I will downgrade it. Just wasn't sure how suggestive I could get for which rating.

As a reminder: the timeline bounces around a bit so be sure to keep track. Italics indicate characters' thoughts.

I don't own anything to do with nbc, Warner Bros. or Chuck. All errors are mine.

**III. Anger and Interruptions**

**Scene 9: January 7, 2013  
****Three weeks earlier  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

The caravan consisted of Verbanski's two SUV's, a police jeep and two army trucks carrying supplies for the team, and medicine and food for the refugees.

They reached the first camp about 3:00 pm and the UN officials immediately went to the camp headquarters. There they met with the officials in charge who took the entourage on an inspection tour of the camp. Verbanski and Casey followed them at a discrete distance while Jenkins, Harvey, and their local counterparts set up the medical station and camp for the team.

The schedule called for the inspection to happen immediately, before anything could be hidden. Later the UN team would meet over supper and discuss what needed to be done next.

"Well, it's obvious this is a worthless trip!" Ambassador Giordano was absolutely beside himself and taking it out on anyone who dared come near. "There is nothing wrong in this camp. In fact, it's one of the best I've seen in my many years of service."

"Ambassador, this is only our first stop."

"I'm not an imbecile, you fool! I know that."

Casey was just about fed up with the Ambassador's constant, self-serving reminders of his years as a diplomat, as well as his berating of his own staff. As far as Casey was concerned, that just made him old. He was just about to unload on the old fart when Verbanski put her hand on his arm and looked at the Ambassador. "Sir, this was definitely a camp that is doing well to serve their clients. However, we have six more to visit, some of which are very close to the fighting."

"Well, I never! You … woman … know nothing about any of this. Stay out of my way! I'm telling you we need to call this all off. We are wasting our time!"

That was it. Casey had had enough. A deep throated growl began softly but rose quickly as Casey leaned forward, placing both hands on the table. "You, sir, are out of line. That … woman … will take a bullet for you if necessary, so you will not talk to her in that manner!"

"Hummmph!" Was all the Ambassador could say to that and he stomped out of the room.

"Ms. Verbanski, allow me to apologize for the Ambassador. He tends to fly off the handle at times, but he does know his job." Senor Montez bowed politely to Gertrude who nodded her head back at him in acceptance.

"Let's adjourn for tonight gentlemen. We need to get an early start in the morning. Senor Montez, you tell the Ambassador we leave at 0700 local. He can either be on time and go with us, or wait here until we return." Gertrude Verbanski turned her back and left with as much fire in her step as had the Ambassador a few minutes earlier.

**Scene 10: January 25, 2013  
****The Present  
****Echo Park / **_**Carmichael Industries**_

Morgan called Chuck at 6:30 am; he was still at _Carmichael Industries'_ offices. "Morgan," Chuck moaned, "why are you calling me at this hour?"

"Because, Chuck, as happy as I am that you and Sarah took the time to be together yesterday, it has left me with a lot of irons in the fire. Not to mention that I haven't seen Alex in two days and neither of us is happy about that at all."

"Get to the point, buddy." Sarah had awakened and snuggled up to Chuck.

"General Beckman just called and wants a conference at 8:00 am. There's still nothing on Casey and she wants to shake the tree. Chop, chop, dude. You and your lady need to get here pronto. Oh, and by the way, I'm leave right now and won't be back until tomorrow." And with that Morgan hung up.

"Sarah? Sarah, honey. Beckman wants to conference. We have to get moving."

"Unnnnggggggghhhhhhhhh," was all he got out of Sarah as she buried herself even further under the covers and into his side. As much as Chuck wanted to dive under the covers and wake Sarah as only he could, he knew today was not the day for that. He untangled himself and tried to roll out but Sarah was still holding onto him, causing him to lose his balance, crashing into the nightstand.

"Owwwww! Damn! That's going to leave a mark." At least she hadn't throw any knives … yet.

At 7:58 Sarah and Chuck walked into their offices. They had just grabbed a cup of coffee when Diane Beckman came on the monitor. She looked quite haggard. "Good morning Bartowski's. Thank you for coming in so early."

"Glad to see you, too. Diane, have you had any sleep lately?" Sarah was comfortable now, calling her by her first name, and it did elicit a small smile from the General. Chuck was nowhere near that comfort level with her but was glad Sarah felt the connection.

"Always observant, aren't you Sarah, and the answer is: no. This problem with Verbanski and Casey has us all burning the midnight oil around here. Mr. Bartowski, have you injured yourself?"

"Uh, well ... no, General. Just got tangled in the bedcovers this morning and fell." He and Sarah exchanged embarrassed smiles and he could see her blush slightly.

"Okay. We have to move on. There is absolutely no chatter regarding the mission to Swinbitia. Have you been able to detect anything on your end?"

"Sorry, but no. We've tried all our usual sources and even a couple new ones but, as you said, there is nothing happening. Are you looking to send in another team?"

"We have to work within the confines of the UN on this one. I have to ask you both a serious question: Sarah, assuming the UN is agreeable, are you up to going in to find out what has happened? I know this is awkward but you are still the best in the business."

"General," both Chuck and Beckman noticed her change to the formal address and the monotone quality to her voice, "I am no longer a CIA operative. My life is here now."

"I am fully aware of your status, Agent Bartowski." Chuck and Sarah looked at each other in alarm when they heard 'Agent Bartowski' instead of 'Sarah'. "I am also aware you have assisted _Verbanski Corp_ in several missions. You are as fit and conditioned as ever. Your country … no … your friends, John Casey and Gertrude Verbanski, need you."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Then Chuck spoke up, "General, may Sarah and I have an hour to talk this over and get back to you? Please?"

"As much as we need to get moving on this, yes, take the time you need and call me back. I can not overemphasize the need for action."

Sarah was glowering at Chuck. She felt as mad at him as she ever had (or could remember anyway)! _Why isn't he backing me up on this and just tell Beckman no?_ As he started to speak she held up her hands, looked at him intensely, stopping him in his tracks, and turned to walk out of the office to the restroom.

_Oh, crap!_ Chuck knew he was in way over his head now. Sarah was furious! He wondered briefly if he would live to tell this tale? _All I want to do is talk. _He knew her feelings about going back to the spy world but he also knew she had really enjoyed the three jobs with Casey and Gertrude. And it was these dear friends whose lives were possibly in dire jeopardy. _How can she turn her back on them?_

Sarah returned with deep anger still showing on her face. No one would miss knowing she was upset, from the set of her lips to the three creases above and between her eyes. Chuck, knowing every nuance of his wife, read deeply into those blue eyes and knew she was ready to do bodily harm to someone or something … _probably me!_

"Chuck! I don't know what you are thinking here, but one question: why didn't you back me up on this with Beckman?"

"Baby, I'm not fighting you on this but I just thought we should take the time to look at the problem from all sides. It is Casey and Gertrude, and I would never forgive myself if something happened that we could have prevented. Right now we are at a total loss of what's happened and need new intel. How do we get that? If you have an idea, I'm all ears."

"I can't go out there by myself again. I'm not that wildcard enforcer any more. I'm not a spy! What I am," Sarah lowered her voice now, which made it just that much more forceful, "is your wife. Your wife who wants nothing more than to lay in your arms every night." Tears were starting to form in her eyes. "I feel awful thinking about Casey and Gertrude, but I don't know what to do for them."

"What if I…."

Sarah cut him off, "No, no, no. I will not allow you to get into this! You are just starting to get your strength and health back and you can not … will not … be put into that danger again."

"We could go in together, honey. I could set up a network to keep an eye on you as well as hack into whatever systems they may be hiding over there."

Once again Sarah turned and walked out.

**Scene 11: January 18, 2013  
****One week earlier  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

It was Day Fourteen. Gertrude thought they would have wrapped this up by now but the weather had caught them. They had rolled into the fifth camp the morning of Day Nine, just as it started to rain. With basically all dirt roads, once it started to rain, and kept on raining hard for three straight days, they were stuck. It had been months since this part of Africa had received this much rain and it brought everything to a complete stand still; dirt roads and a constant downpour make for a bad mixture. This, of course, did nothing for Ambassador Giordano's disposition, but at least he had something else to blame it on besides Verbanski and her team.

They had visited five of the seven camps. Each had problems but nothing on the order of the rumors that had spurred the mission. The good news was they were able to give each camp well needed medical assistance. Dr. Alverez was overseeing all the medical operations of the team, and his association with _Doctors Without Borders_ was a real bonus. Each camp had a small medical team made up of a diverse group of nationalities, but all were skilled, and dedicated, physicians and nurses. Verbanski's team, well versed in basic, albeit combat, medical treatment was able to lend a hand to these overworked and understaffed facilities.

Satellite phones kept them in touch with the outside world as well as keeping track of the weather developments. Verbanski called her headquarters just after supper, followed by Casey checking in with _Carmichael Industries_. They figured two more days to complete the mission if they could move out in the morning. Chuck passed on some messages from Alex and told Casey he and Gertrude should take some time off, and come to Burbank, as soon as they were home. Casey agreed to call again soon.

Verbanski called the entourage together at 8:30 p.m. on the 18th: "Gentlemen, the army has reported that the roads are quickly becoming passable. I suggest we plan to depart at 0800 in the morning and bring this mission to a close. Ambassador, does that meet with your approval?"

"Fine, fine. The sooner we move, the sooner we are home."

Just as they were ready to break up the meeting they heard the sounds of large trucks entering the camp. Casey moved to leave the tent and ran headlong into the barrel of an AK-47. Backing into the tent he had no room to maneuver, and looked to Verbanski for help. As soon as they saw the gun Harvey and Jenkins reached for their weapons but they never got them out. Two silenced gun shots were heard and the agents fell. Two more shots came and the Ambassador and Dr. Alverez slumped in their seats.


	4. Capture and Clues

A/N: Thanks everyone for responding so positively. Sorry the last chapter was shorter but it seemed a good place to stop.  
Nothing's changed: I don't own Chuck, Sarah, Carmichael Industries, Casey, Verbanski, or Morgan. Darn it!

**IV. Capture and Clues**

**Scene 12: January 25, 2013  
****The Present  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Sarah was furious at Chuck! _What the hell does he think he's doing, suggesting I go back to the spy life, put my life in danger (even if it is to rescue Casey and Verbanski), and possibly lose my life in the process? _She stomped back to her office and sat down hard at her desk. Looking at the pictures of her and Chuck together did not calm her today, as they usually did.

They had just come back together. Since their wedding they had actually been apart almost as much as together. First, Quinn stole her memories and set her up to kill Chuck. Then, even after resolving that, her lack of memories took her away for another six months. It was another four months before they were able to make love. "We are just coming completely together again ... and now he wants to send me away. Damn it, what is he thinking?" Sarah slammed her fist down on her desk as she spoke these thoughts aloud.

**Meanwhile….**

Chuck knew Sarah was still in her office but he didn't think it would be good to talk to her right now. He knew she was upset … _no: MAD!_ … and this would not be a good time to go in there babbling. He really did want to explain himself better and calm her down, but the words weren't coming to him. Of course he didn't want her to leave, risk her life ... maybe even lose it. He wanted her in his arms every night and every morning, too. He wanted to work together, here in these offices, and eat every meal with the love of his life. _But how can we abandon Casey and Gertrude?_

Satellite scans of the trip itinerary Gertrude had sent him were still running on his computer but he wasn't seeing much of it. He knew it had run through the whole set of scans at least twice already. He just couldn't focus on work; he was too scared of what he had done to the most important person in his life. _Damn!_

Then something caught his eye. He reran the last section of pictures again … and then again. There it was. The anomaly … what he had been looking for these past few days. With a couple of clicks on the keyboard he sent the pictures to Sarah's computer and then got up to hobble into her office. His leg was really stiff today and sitting that long had only made it worse. He needed a workout.

"Sarah ... Sarah!" He exclaimed as he opened her door.

"No, Chuck. I really don't want to talk to you right now!"

"No, no, no. Wait. It isn't that. I think I found what we've been searching for. Pull up the file I just sent you."

Sarah bit her lip. _Great! Now I'm starting to shut him out. Mad or not, that's not what I want either._ The pictures came up on her screen. "What am I looking for?"

"Go to frame 77 and enlarge the lower right corner to 250 percent. Look, it's three vehicles, overturned and burned."

"Yeah, Chuck: it's a war zone." She grimaced again, but not because of what he said. Rather it was how she had replied to him. _He didn't deserve that._

"No, look! One's a jeep but the other two are SUV's. Enlarge the center vehicle to 500 percent. See, right there? That's a mounted 50 caliber machine gun. There's only one reason for SUV's to be out this far: someone outside the two armies had to take them out there. And who else would be taking an SUV with a 50 caliber out there? It has to be Casey!"

Sarah punched up some more views on the scene, enhanced a couple of spots, and then sat back in her chair. She looked up at Chuck and smiled. Her first smile since arriving at the office this morning. "That's it Chuck. We've got something to show Beckman now."

"Uh … baby … what are we going to tell her regarding … well … you know?"

"Let's get the intel to her first. Tell her we are still agreeing to disagree and see if she has any other assets available." Sarah stood up and took Chuck's hands in hers, "Honey, let's not fight over this. Our life is too precious to waste time bickering." Chuck looked deeply into those two beautiful, deeply blue orbs and was mesmerized, as usual. He leaned in as she raised up on her tiptoes, and the two lovers exchanged a delicate kiss which lingered because neither wanted to let it go.

Their kiss ended and they each sighed as they leaned their foreheads together. Chuck finally straightened, "I'll get Beckman on the line."

**Scene 13: January 18-19, 2013  
****One week earlier  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

When Gertrude and Casey turned to look behind them, Senor Montez was standing there, grinning, holding the silenced pistol that had so efficiently killed four men. "Ms. Verbanski, Mr. Casey: I suggest you remove your weapons slowly and carefully before my associate with the automatic weapon gets nervous and does something regrettable."

"What's going on here, Montez?"

"You didn't really think this was a mission to inspect refugee camps, did you?"

"I don't understand."

"You will … very soon. However, right now we need to get you away from this camp to a more … uh … secure location. Oh, and I need that satellite phone as well. Mr. Casey, I can see the wheels grinding in that over-muscled brain. Don't do it. I really don't want to kill you … tonight."

Casey and Verbanski's hands were secured with zip strips and then those bindings were lashed together with another set of strips. It was very awkward trying to walk tied together like that, which was certainly their captors plan. Once in the back of a truck, where they couldn't see out, the truck started up and moved out.

Casey estimated they had been on the road about five hours since being captured. From the bits and pieces he could see of the moon, he estimated they were moving in basically a southerly direction. He tried to visualize the maps of this part of Africa but he had not been in this part of the world for some time. Plus, he had not studied the maps beyond the southern borders of Swinbitia because he didn't think it would be necessary. _Getting sloppy_ _Casey_, he thought, not for the first time in recent months.

They had not spoken much and even dozed fitfully off and on. Their guard didn't appear to speak english but they didn't want to take the chance of saying anything he could report back to his superiors. If they had been able to see each other better they could have communicated visually, but it was quite dark in the bed of this truck.

"Sure hope we stop soon. Getting pretty cramped up in here!"

"Me, too." This seemingly innocuous piece of information informed each other that they shouldn't try to fight or escape anytime soon because they weren't at their physical best.

Just then the truck slowed, turned to the right and came to a stop. Montez lifted the tailgate canvas and motioned them to exit the truck. Behind their captor they saw a camp with upwards of 250 men, all heavily armed as best as they could tell in this light. They were taken into a cabin where their bindings were cut and they were motioned towards two chairs by a table.

Senor Montez entered. Even though it was well after midnight he was followed by a young local girl carrying food and water. She shyly placed the tray on the table and quietly departed. Neither Casey nor Verbanski were going to take the proffered sustenance. "Come now, friends, let us eat and drink. You have to be famished after our long drive. For being so far from civilization this stew is really quite good." He had dished out three bowls and placed one each in front of John and Gertrude.

Gertrude looked at the bowl and then at the man across the table. Her face was one of pure hatred. Casey had not seen this look often but knew she was about to explode. "What," she hissed as she stood, "makes you think I would sit at the same table and eat with the man who, just a few hours ago, killed two of my trusted associates. Go to hell … Senor!" And with that she swiped at the bowl, throwing it across the room where it shattered against the wall. She continued to stare at him while trying to keep herself under some bit of control.

Casey was standing now also. "What makes you think we won't just grab you here and now and use you as a shield to escape this hell hole?"

"Mr. Casey, do you really think you can just walk out of here with all these troops surrounding this cabin? Ms. Verbanski, do you have any clue where we are? Which direction would you drive in order to escape? No, no, my friends. Let us not resort to violence, which will only lead to your deaths. Hopefully, this whole matter can be resolved quickly and then you will be on your way home." He continued to sit and eat calmly.

"And what is this matter?"

"All in good time, Ms. Verbanski, all in good time. Oh, and by the way, you better clean up the stew on the wall. It will attract any number of varmints that you really don't want to share the cabin with."

Casey and Gertrude just stared at Montez. There was nothing else they could say or do besides watch him eat and wait to be let in on the joke.

**Scene 14: December 14, 2013  
****Six weeks earlier  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Morgan had done a remarkable job getting the offices of _Carmichael Industries_ designed, construction completed, and everything outfitted with the latest features and technology. It had been a terrible time, after Sarah's disappearance and Chuck pretty much checking out from life, when Casey tasked Morgan to get this done. Hoping to bring Chuck back to life with a new purpose … Sarah's purpose … he dove right in. Finding Sarah's notes on available office space, he was able to secure the property she had wanted: the stately _Bancroft Building_, a four story building, formerly housing State of California offices. Then began extensive remodeling; it was quite an undertaking.

The ground floor already had tenants: a high end real estate office and an upscale coffee shop. A new lease was quickly negotiated to keep them, providing both income and a cover for _Carmichael Industries_, which would occupy the upper three floors. An unassuming entryway on the north side of the building held a computer terminal built into the wall next to an elevator door. Visitors to _CI_ logged in on the computer; once approved by reception, a large elevator was sent to whisk the guests directly to _CI's_ suite level.

The design process began slowly … actually it stalled instantly and completely ... because Morgan had no clue how to even begin. So he enlisted Alex to help. In addition to a great eye for design herself, she had a couple of interior design friends from school who were trying to start their own firm. It was the beginning of a great team. Alex told them what she was envisioning and as soon as they walked into the space, all were on board.

The design called for the third floor to be the main office suite and the fourth floor to be the computer and research labs. The lab layouts were modeled on Castle but on a much grander scale. The second floor would serve as a buffer between the ground and upper floors and was no longer accessible. Private stairs and two elevators gave access to the fourth floor to employees only. There were two back exits, completely disguised, and would only be known to employees. A very classic look, from floor to ceiling and accented by all the furnishings, quickly came together.

From his hospital bed, Chuck designed all the technology for the suite. It was great mental therapy, although it frustrated him not to be able to work on the install himself. The systems he developed were beyond state-of-the-art and gave _Carmichael Industries_ a level of computer and security systems beyond anything else on the whole west coast, maybe even nationwide.

During August, Chuck and Sarah, back together now and working to heal each other, would meet the design team for progress reports, make final decisions, and offer suggestions. It was mid-September when the design team finally gave Chuck and Sarah permission to tour the newly completed office suite. They were truly awed and amazed by the work their friends had done on their behalf. The quality of the work proved to strengthen the bonds of their friendships even more.

Morgan was doing a terrific job now as Office Manager, taking the load of the day to day operations off Sarah and Chuck's shoulders. It was now up to them to bring in the clients and get the results. They knew they would eventually need to hire more staff, but it was going to be the three of them, with an occasional assist from Alex, for the present.

Since the first job Sarah did with _Verbanski Corp_, she had worked very hard getting _Carmichael Industries_ up to speed. She used several of her former contacts and sources to spread the word they were operational once again. General Beckman and _Verbanski Corp_ both sent them several clients, adding to their prestige. The work was doing wonders for both Chuck and Sarah as well, as they continued the healing process. Chuck could not work a full day, at least not straight through, and when he needed a break, Sarah would go with him. It was a great schedule for them to be busy with work, but also have the ability to have quality alone time as a couple.

Twice more Casey called to ask for Sarah's assistance, once in mid-November and then again in early December. These were good opportunities for _CI, _as well as giving Sarah an outlet for her pent up energies. Chuck used these missions to test most of their new equipment while giving technical assistance to the operatives. They also gained their first high exposure client after the second mission. Everyone involved hoped this connection would lead to even more _Fortune 500 _companies taking a look at their offerings.

When in the field, Sarah continued to insist she be able to communicate with Chuck, and if there was travel involved she could be gone no longer than 48 hours at a time. They both hated to be apart due to the raw wounds, still in their souls, from the time they had already lost. But they made it work.

Just as they had after Sarah first moved in with Chuck and he had 'quit the spy business' for Ellie, they tried to approach these trips as ordinary business trips for Sarah, just like many other couples have to face with their jobs. But every time she walked out the door Chuck could feel his heart rate increase and he was a nervous wreck until she walked back through the door and into his waiting arms. And every time she left, Sarah felt the guilt of leaving him, as well as the loneliness she had vowed to never experience again.

They also made sure to spend extra alone time both before and after the trips. While gone, Sarah called as often as the job would allow, never going more than 8 hours without them talking. Meanwhile, Chuck developed a ritual for Sarah's return: as soon as she walked in the door they were in each others' arms. He would then pick her up and carry her into the bathroom where he had prepared a bubble bath with scented candles all around and soft music playing. Once there he would help her undress, scrub her back, and then leave her soaking while he prepared a scrumptious meal. Both times had culminated in warm cuddle time and catnaps in between making love. Neither one liked these separations but they sure made the most of their coming back together. It was so much better than make up sex!

After the third mission, while eating their meal, Chuck brought up something he had been thinking about in Sarah's absence. "Honey, what would you think about letting me go out with you if Casey calls again … if it's something simple, that is? I know, I know, I'm still not at my physical peak yet, but then, I didn't even have a physical peak when I first got the Intersect and you so wonderfully walked into my life."

Normally Sarah would melt with his self deprecating humor as well as the compliment. But not today; not on this issue. "I don't really think you are ready for that sweetie. As you say, you still have some physical problems, and you haven't done any training in a year. Let's get you back into training first and see what shape you can get into."

"Sarah, I can still be of great technical assistance while staying out of direct contact."

"Yes, but you can do that from right here. You just proved how valuable you can be and how much help you can give us, while sitting safely at a computer terminal at _CI_."

"Ooookaaaaaay. But if you are going to continue to go out I want it on the record that I expect to be back out there with you, in some capacity, as soon as possible."

"Fine," Sarah replied with little enthusiasm.

**Scene 15: January 18, 2013  
****One week earlier  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

Senor Montez had bid them good night (well, actually, good morning), telling them the cabin was their's but that guards were posted at all the doors and windows. "Please don't do anything stupid to get yourselves killed on our first night here."

They had been awake for almost 20 hours but, laying together, Casey and Verbanski whispered quietly for some time. They had to assume the cabin was bugged, but hopefully their whispers would be soft enough to be missed. "What the hell is going on? Montez has worked with the Ambassador for years. Then he just shoots him like it was target practice on the range."

"And then he tells us this was never a trip to look at refugee camps. How crazy is that?"

"What do you think our chances of escaping are?"

"Slim and none. And slim is looking pretty bad right now."

"We need to look for an opening to try, but we can't go off half cocked; there are just too many of them out there. Promise me you won't do anything stupid, John?"

"Unnnnngh … for you Gert … only for you."

After a long embrace and kiss they laid back and fell asleep almost immediately.


	5. Anguish

A/N: Thanks to all you who are continuing to read and review. You all inspire me to forge onward despite the low numbers of readers. Oh well...

Although I don't own anything here, no disrespect is intended to those who do own Chuck, these amazing characters, the network and studios.

**V. Anguish**

**Scene 16: ****January 19-23, 2013  
****A week earlier  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

Exhaustion took it's toll on them both and they slept until late morning. Once awake they explored the cabin but found nothing to tell them where they were or who was holding them. All the doors and windows were locked and they could see armed men all around the cabin. There was plenty of bottled water and lunch and supper were delivered by the young girl they had seen the night before. Otherwise, they saw or talked to no one.

Early the second day they were separated: Casey was handcuffed and led out by two men while a third watched from the door with an AK-47. Each expected to be subjected to questioning at the least, and physical violence at the worst, but nothing happened. Casey was chained to the seats in the back of the truck they had arrived in, while Verbanski was left by herself in the cabin. Each was given a sandwich and water at noon. Just after dark Casey was escorted back to the cabin where they were given a stew with meat and potatoes, and fruit.

At midnight, armed guards burst into the cabin and quickly bound them both. They were taken out to the truck and loaded in the back. They traveled through the night, leaving both Casey and Verbanski bruised and sore from the rough ride. The truck stopped at sunup and they were led to a tent, given MRE's and water, and then left alone. They stayed at this location for two more days, tied together the entire time, except when taken to relieve themselves. Fortunately the weather was, while hot and dry, tolerable. They were given bread with jam in the mornings and some kind of meat with potatoes in the evenings. There was also plenty of bottled water.

Neither Casey nor Verbanski was taken by surprise with their treatment. Most of it was standard hostage fare: disorient by changing day into night, odd eating schedules, sleep deprivation and lack of contact with their captors. They had both used most of these techniques during their lives in the NSA and KGB so they were not as easily 'broken' as your average, run-of-the-mill hostages.

The morning of the third day another truck arrived and Casey and Verbanski were ordered to transfer its cargo into their truck. They knew, from long experience, the crates contained munitions of some kind. _Great,_ they each thought separately, _we've just become accomplices in arms smuggling._ After eating lunch they were loaded into the back of the truck and were once again on the road. Well, that is, if you could actually call where they were a road. They crawled and bounced along: once they actually had to get out and help push the truck through the mud and gunk. Needless to say, neither was getting much rest, and their aches and pains continued to grow.

Some time after dark, the truck once again stopped. When they were allowed out, there were soldiers waiting to unload the weaponry. It took less than an hour to unload this time and then it was back on the road. This time, however, it was an actual road and they rolled along quickly. Two hours later they stopped and were escorted into another cabin, similar to the one where they were first held.

They had not seen Senor Montez since being captured and were surprised when he entered the building. "My apologies for all this traveling and the substandard accommodations, but it's the best we can do. As always, please do not try to escape because then ... well ... you will die." With that he left, leaving the two partners staring at the door and then each other.

**Scene 17: ****January 25, 2013  
****The Present  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

"General, thank you for getting back to us. We have found something. I've already sent you the photos and the enhancements. Do you see what we are seeing?"

"Yes, Mr. Bartowski, our analysts here agree. But now what do we do with this intel?"

"Someone has taken over the members, and vehicles, of the mission. This wreckage is about five miles south of their last known location. If we infer they were taken away on the army trucks heading south we can start doing more surveillance in that direction to try to locate them. It will certainly reduce the area we need to search."

"That's a lot of supposition, Agent Bartowski."

"Very true, General. But it's all we have and that's more than we had this morning. And by the way: neither of us are 'Agent Bartowski' any more."

"General, we also need boots on the ground to inspect the wreckage for bodies or any other clues."

"I have already asked the Swinbitian government for assistance with all that." The General was still glowering at them both, after Chuck's comment. She was frustrated that she could no longer pull rank on either of them.

"Do you think we will get truthful answers from them?"

"It's all we have right now. Sarah, have you given any more thought to my proposal for you to go there yourself?"

"We've talked … no … argued about that since you asked this morning without reaching a consensus. There are some big issues to resolve on this end."

"I appreciate that, but we need an answer."

"General, we will get back to you on this matter as soon as we are able."

"Alright. Because it's you two, I'm trying to be understanding. Please call me asap."

**Scene 18: January 25, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

"That's it. I'm done sitting around here. I'm going outside and kick some butt!" It was the second day since their arrival at this cabin and they had seen no one except the girl who delivered their food. They were both getting stir crazy.

"John, come back. You know you can't get past all these guards."

"But what are we doing here? Have they asked for a ransom? Does anyone even know we have been kidnapped?" Casey was really working himself into a lather now.

"I'll bet Beckman, Sarah and Chuck are all looking for us. Five will get you ten that Chuck's the one that finds us."

"I won't take that one because it's probably right on. But your five will get you twenty Walker's the one that comes for us."

Gertrude smiled at Casey's insistence on using 'Walker' instead of 'Bartowski' or even 'Sarah'. She knew it was actually a term of endearment, even though he would never admit it. "Now that one I'll take. I don't think she will get back in the game. You know how much of a stickler she is about staying home with Chuck, or at least being able to call him daily. You are on, big man."

The front door opened and a guard came in with his rifle on the ready. "Come!"

They followed across the compound to another building. Inside were four men, all facing the door, sitting at two connected tables. Two chairs were on the other side of the table and Casey and Verbanski were directed to sit in those chairs. They looked at each other as they sat: _now it's going to get interesting_.

The man at the left end of the table, as Casey and Verbanski faced them, spoke first: "Welcome to our humble home. Hopefully you have not been treated poorly other than our substandard means of transportation. You may address me as 'Mr. A' and each of the gentlemen to my left as 'Mr. B,' Mr. C,' and 'Mr. D,' respectively." Each man wore a dark blue suit with matching tie. They would have looked completely at home in any board room or law office in the world. But here, in the wilds of Africa, they were quite a paradox. Mr. A was well built with dark hair and blue eyes. His smile was even but carried a menacing undercurrent. The other men looked much the same but were clearly subordinate to Mr. A.

"Ungh. Gotta love the creativity."

"Shush, John."

"I would listen to your boss, Mr. Casey. You are a bonus in our project here, as Ms. Verbanski is our prime target, so we can dispense with you without much compunction."

"He is not my employee; he is my business partner. Whatever you ask of one, you must ask of the other."

"Not if one of you is dead. I will continue. Without interruption, if you please. We represent a consortium of entrepreneurs from the east African coast. They have unlimited resources and a wide following. However, they are lacking in their ability to command respect and are in need of upgrading their security and surveillance systems."

"Ungh! Somali pirates."

"An unflattering term, Mr. Casey. They are an organization just trying to make a place in this world." As Mr. C was making this statement, Mr. B pulled out a handgun and placed it on the table in front of him. "This is your final warning: keep your mouth shut until asked to respond. The next time ... you will be dead."

Mr. A continued: "Ms. Verbanski, Mr. Casey, we have four points to discuss with you. Please allow us to proceed quickly and efficiently. We have been traveling even longer than you and need a chance to eat and rest. The quicker we are able to lay out our agenda and hear your initial response, the sooner we can adjourn for the day.

"Point one: _Verbanski Corp_ is the one of the world's leading security firms. We know of your many successes in this industry in providing security, from individuals to entire companies. We also know of your ability to design and install the most sophisticated security systems today. When the NSA and CIA hire you to perform these duties for them, it is truly an impressive resume you offer."

Verbanski and Casey glanced at each other at the mention of the NSA and CIA. No one should know about those jobs. How did this group, representing the rag-tag Somali pirates, learn of their projects with General Beckman?

Mr. B continued: "Point two: Because of your work with the NSA, CIA, MI5 and MI6, as well as several other lesser clandestine organizations, you have an invaluable knowledge of the workings and plans of these organizations."

Frowns came on the faces of the two operatives. They knew exactly what was being asked of them in this 'point'. If they refused, they were sure it would lead to the torture and death of one or both.

Point three was presented by Mr. C: "Our employers are well armed but untrained and have no organizational flow. They are no better off in this area than were the Barbary Pirates. Your company is a model example of both, as is your time with the NSA, 'Colonel' Casey."

Even though they had not actually been asked anything as yet, the intention was more than clear: They were being 'headhunted' for a job … a job in support of notorious, twenty-first century pirates!

Finally, Mr. D spoke for the first time. "Point four: This is a singular bonus for us with your presence Mr. Casey. We had no idea we could ever be this fortunate. Mr. Casey, we know you were, for five years, partnered with the infamous CIA spy, Sarah Walker."

_Oh crap! What the hell do they want with Sarah?_ Casey's face was as stone cold as always but Gertrude heard his anguish in the grunt he gave them.

**Scene 19: January 25, 2013  
****The Present  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Chuck walked around his desk to stand in front of his lovely wife. He took her hands in his and leaned in for a gentle kiss. "Sarah, dearest, dinner will be delivered any time now, so let's just sit and relax. Once the food is here and we sit down to eat, we can talk. Okay?"

Sarah smiled demurely, looking down first and finally up and into those powerful brown eyes she so loved. Chuck's heartbeat instantly spiraled up several notches. "Do you think you can trust me to talk about this while I'm holding a knife and fork?"

They both laughed as they embraced, holding each other securely and lovingly. Even though there was no music playing, they gently swayed and moved together, drinking in the love emanating one to the other. When the door chime sounded several minutes later they were still holding each other. Chuck reluctantly let go of the love of his life and ran to get the food from the delivery service. Sarah just stood in place and watched him ... her wonderful husband ... until he was out of sight. She sighed deeply, relishing the love they had just exchanged and fearing the conversation yet to come.

Once he was out of sight, Sarah moved to set the table for their meal. Alex had outfitted the offices with table settings fit for royalty, to go along with a formal dining room for entertaining, which they called _The Great Hall_. This space could be used for internal business meals, to formal entertaining, and everything in between. The suite had not been up and running well enough for the holidays but they were now starting to look for an opportunity to take advantage of Alex' planning. Tonight, however, Sarah wanted something a little more intimate and Chuck's office had the best table for dining of all the offices. She was just finishing setting their places as he returned.

Chuck had ordered food from a nearby restaurant they both loved. It was a small, but popular, establishment owned and operated by an older Italian couple. Mr. & Mrs. Bertoloni had taken an instant liking to the ravishing couple who began to grace their restaurant. They could see and feel the intense love in these two young people and a wonderful friendship sprung up. Sarah had lived with her maternal grandmother for a short time but never knew the other three; Chuck had not known any of his grandparents. So Mr. & Mrs. Bertoloni began to fill that role; a role both pairs relished a great deal.

They would always be seated in the most romantic corner of the restaurant and Mr. & Mrs. Bertoloni would stand, arm in arm, and watch the two young lovers share their meal and their love. Sarah and Chuck always invited them to join them for a glass of wine at the end of the meal and were thrilled on those occasions the business of the restaurant allowed them to do so. When Mr. & Mrs. Bertoloni found out Chuck and Sarah's offices were nearby they offered a private delivery service whenever the two could not get out of the office. This was a service they only offered the Bartowski's.

When she looked up Chuck's face was completely hidden behind a bouquet of gardenias and she felt herself melt with the overwhelming warmth of her love for this man. As she took the flowers Chuck said to her softly, "Mrs. Bertoloni thought our offices needed some flowers." But Sarah knew it was her husband who had ordered the flowers … gardenias … her favorite.

"Perfect, Chuck," she whispered as she gently kissed his cheek.

The seafood was particularly excellent and for tonight Chuck had ordered salads and the salmon. They both moaned in delight as they took their first bites.

"Sarah, I completely understand your reaction today and I want to apologize for being so insensitive." Sarah started to speak but Chuck stopped her with a wave of his hands. "Please just listen, baby. I know you … we … have said we want to move on from the spy world. But I also can see how antsy you get at times and know you are missing the adrenaline rush. Plus, I would never have suggested you going back into the field like this if it wasn't Casey and Gertrude out there."

When he paused, Sarah looked up and could tell he was done … for the moment. "I should not have yelled at you or walked out on you, Chuck. The last thing we need to do is not talk. As I recall, we spent enough time doing that over the years. If it were just about our friends I would be out there in a heartbeat. But, sweetie, there is more to consider. Yes, I miss the action. But I love my life now and," changing her voice to a dark and sultry quality, "I can get my adrenaline rush in other ways." Sarah looked at Chuck with those incredibly beautiful azure eyes, smiled, and then blushed as his mouth fell open and his breathing developed a noticeable hitch.

"I've already told you how much I despise being away from you. I have nightmares that you are gone and I can't find you. To even think about being away from you makes my stomach crazy. More importantly, I … we … can not risk you being out in the field. You are the Intersect and if anyone saw you use it, even once, it could bring the world crashing down around our heads once again. That is more pain than I can stand."

They ate in silence for several minutes. "I have no argument for any of that, baby. Let me ask you, though: if something like this happened to either of us, what do you think Casey would do?"

"I know exactly what he would do. But he is still an operative. You … we … are not!"

Sarah stood up and walked around the table to Chuck. He pushed his chair back and she sat down in his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and laid her head on his shoulder. He could feel her warm breath on his neck, sending tingles up and down his spine. Chuck wrapped his arms around her, gently caressing her back. He could feel her shaking and could tell she was crying. Tears fell from his eyes as well; he never could stand for her to cry. And he knew this was all his fault.

"What should we do? Either way I'm going to feel terrible," she sobbed.

"I don't know, baby, I don't know."


	6. Disagreements

A/N: Welcome to Chapter 6. Still lots of infighting amongst our favorites, not to mention the kidnapping is getting weirder and weirder. But there will probably be some time for some Charah in here somewhere. Can't seem to go too long without getting our kids together for some sweet time. Hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for continuing to read this and all the comments. Got some good advice the past couple of days and that is always good. as a reminder, italics indicate a character's thoughts. The timeline is all in the present in this chapter, with the events in California and Africa going on more or less at the same time. Don't try to work out what time it is here or there as it will break your head (as it did mine!). Just go with the flow.

As always, no copyright violations intended. In addition to Chuck, I do not own Dean Martin or _Return to Me_.

**VI. Disagreements**

**Scene 20: January 25, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

"Now, we are going to step out for ten minutes. There are no surveillance cameras or microphones in this room. Please know you may speak freely without fear of being overheard. We need your honest responses to these four points and realize you need to be able to talk openly. Ten minutes … no more."

Casey looked at Gertrude with a sneer on his lips and eyes wide while she stared back with the exact same look. As soon as the door closed behind their captors they both uttered simultaneously, "What the hell was that?"

Gertrude knew it was almost impossible to catch John off guard like this and she was feeling the same. "It's crazy! They are interviewing us for a job … or jobs. Do they expect us to tell them just how stupid those statements are or are we suppose to tell them if we are interested in participating in some way with their crazy plans … whatever they may be?"

They sat in silence for a few minutes, staring at their hands. For all their combined experience, this was completely outside the realm of reality. _Who were these people? Was there really a plan or were they just shooting in the dark? Were they really being offered a job? Too many questions … absolutely no answers._

Finally Casey spoke up: "So let's see, Gert, there was the security protection and systems, the work with various governments' agencies, and their need for organization and training."

"All very flattering, and it makes it impossible to deny most of what they've said. They know too much about us. But what's it all mean? Do they want our systems, or how to break them? Do they expect us to give them information to subvert other governments or burn their agents? And we all know there are plenty of terrorist groups with good training programs. Why don't they just get some of their buddies there to help them? It just doesn't make sense."

"It really worries me that they know about the government work. No one is supposed to know all that. Beckman assured us it was all cloaked and/or redacted. Damn! That means there is a mole somewhere. Or, maybe this is all a big fishing expedition, hoping we will spill the beans. Surely, with the apparent respect they have for our work, they don't expect us to crack, do they?"

"Everyone talks eventually, Casey. You know that." As she looked at him all he could do was nod and curl his lip into a sneer. "Listen, when they come back in, let me talk to points one and two. Okay, John?"

"Roger that. Now, two was all about us having insider information on government agencies. I think that ties into number one. Son. Of. A. Bitch! They just know way too much."

"I agree. Can you take the third and fourth points?"

They both looked at each other with worry coming to their eyes. So far they had avoided mentioning 'point four' … Sarah. What did they want with their partner and friend?

'Huummmph. Fine." After another pause, Casey looked down at his hands, then around the room. He spoke in a quiet, sad voice, "What about Sarah? What was it they called her? Infamous?"

"Yeah. Sounded like they didn't expect to find you on this trip, but once they were aware of you, it opened up a whole new area for them to include her. What do they want with her … what's their beef with her? Capture and torture? Kill her? Something else entirely?"

"Well, I seriously doubt they want to date her. She must have seriously pissed off someone in their organization."

"But we've all pissed off people through the years. Why here? Why now?"

"I don't know all that much about her past missions but she was Graham's wildcard enforcer and I can tell you, there is no one more lethal than that girl. You haven't seen her in action as much as I have and I take my hat off to her." That was high praise, indeed, coming from Casey. Gertrude knew he didn't bestow that kind of respect on just anyone.

They were both quiet for several more moments, deep in their own thoughts. Neither had ever been in a situation like this, despite their long careers in clandestine work. They were also quite alarmed at the calm, business-like manner in which they had been talked to, contrasted with being threatened with immediate execution. They both knew they had to come up with a way to respond to these maniacs, while keeping each other safe. There was, also, the inbred desire to find a way to escape. No doubt, they were definitely between that ever popular rock and hard place.

They heard voices outside the door and knew their time was up.

**Scene 21: January 25, 2013  
****The Present  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

The elevator opened directly into the spacious reception hall of _Carmichael Industries_, striking visitors immediately with an amazing integration of modern design and old world stateliness. The entire left wall were windows overlooking one of LA's largest parks. The far wall was all windows as well, along with two, all glass-walled offices, set three steps above the main floor. The one on the right was Morgan's office, while the other could be used by visitors or even a small conference room. The other two walls were a rich mahogany with polished brass fixtures. Indirect lighting gave the impression of warmth and opulence. Highly polished marble flooring, along with plush, leather wing chairs, sofas, and low tables completed the room. A large, semicircular, reception desk, about one third of the way into the room, along the right wall, could seat three receptionists.

Behind the reception desk was a doorway with triple French doors that opened to a hallway and the suite offices. Chuck and Sarah's offices opened to the left of this hallway and had floor to ceiling windows like the reception hall. The exterior windows throughout this floor were made of smart glass that could be adjusted from transparent to opaque and any stage in between. Another hallway ran to the right, separating the five additional offices and two large conference rooms on the left and The Great Hall, on the right. All the offices and hallways in this section had the same walnut finished walls but the floors in this area were inlaid wood. All the fixtures, as in the reception hall, were understated but elegant. In the Great Hall, completely invisible to the naked eye, was the ability, in a truly amazing and unique manner, to open the common wall with the main reception hall, creating a beautiful dining and entertaining facility.

Visitors were always overwhelmed by the entire suite. Alex and her team, with final touches by Sarah, had done an incredible job creating the sense of richly appointed comfort mixed with tradition. The blending of old world style and today's world of technology was ever so subtle. They wanted their clients to first feel awestruck, followed immediately by welcome, and finally, confidence in those who worked in these offices. The second and fourth floors were off limits to visitors.

Music was playing softly when Morgan came into the suite. Alex, having started her Master's Degree, had a class that would run until 9:30 pm, so he had decided to stop by _CI_ in case there were any new developments. He cautiously walked through the reception area to the office hallway: he did not want to walk in on Chuck and Sarah, just in case they were … well … you know. Passing by Sarah's office, whose door was closed, he peeked around the open door frame of Chuck's office. He found them there on the sofa, sitting side by side with arms and legs tangled, sleeping peacefully. Morgan couldn't help smiling: love spewed forth from this incredible couple even when sleeping! He remembered the instant chemistry between these two back in the _Buy More_ six years ago (_Wow, six years!_) and how quickly he had realized they were each smitten with the other. He hoped and prayed he and Alex would be so happy … hopefully without quite all the drama his two friends had had to survive.

As he started to back out he saw Chuck stir and wave him in. Trying not to wake Sarah, Chuck gently untangled himself and tried to stand but his left leg just didn't want to work. Morgan quickly moved to the sofa and helped his best friend to his feet. They quietly left the office and settled into two plush chairs in the reception area.

Chuck was filling Morgan in on what they had found that afternoon when they heard a shriek: "Chuck? Chuck! Where are you?" Sarah came running out of the office and right into Chuck's arms, practically knocking him down. "Oh my God, Chuck! I woke up and you were gone. Don't do that to me!" She had thrown her arms around his neck and pressed herself into him.

"It's alright, baby. I'm right here ... just talking to Morgan."

"Oh, hi, Morgan. Did you get any rest today?"

"Hi, Sarah and yes I did. Thanks for asking."

"So anyway, I was telling Morgan about finding the satellite pics of the SUV's and Beckman wanting you to go check it out. Morgan, I think she should go … and I want to go with her."

"NOOOOOO! No, no, no, no! Absolutely not. No way. Not going to happen. You two are staying right here where I can keep an eye on you. Just forget it!" Morgan was flailing his arms around and almost jumping out of his shoes as he practically yelled at his friends.

Both Chuck and Sarah were taken aback by Morgan's outburst. "Gee, Morgan, where were you this afternoon when I needed you?" Sarah said while smiling up at her husband and hugging him lightly. All Chuck could do was look back and forth between his lovely bride and his best friend with his mouth wide open in amazement.

**Scene 22: January 25, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

The four men returned and walked quickly back to their table. They were followed, once again, by the girl, who looked to be about 16 but undernourished, carrying a large tray with food and beverages. Mr. A indicated they should partake of the food. Casey and Gertrude looked at each other and nodded slightly. Although they would have liked to refuse, just as they had with Senor Montez the first night, they had not eaten in over eight hours now and who knew when they would be offered more. First rule in the business: eat and sleep whenever possible. It was mostly local vegetables and fruits and Casey mumbled something about girlie food, but they both ate and drank their fill.

"We would like to continue now if you please. Do not hesitate to continue eating. You need to keep your strength up for the job ahead." Each of the captors were munching casually as well, although not to the extent of Verbanski and Casey.

"We would like you to speak to your work as security specialists."

Verbanski spoke right up, "I don't know what you think we can tell you. We will not divulge any information regarding any of our clients. That's a violation of their privacy."

"Ms. Verbanski, please understand, we do not really care about their privacy. We know who you've worked for and the type of services rendered. We know the dates and places where you provided security … bodyguards, if you will…. We know of your unblemished record. Are you willing to provide the same service to our employers?"

"So let me get this straight: you kill several associates and a United Nations ambassador, kidnap us, drive us all over Africa, hold us here in the middle of nowhere, and then you ask us to work for you? Unbelievable!

"We would prefer you work WITH us, Ms. Verbanski." The inference of something more distasteful was very clear.

"We now have offices around the world with regular office hours. Try calling for an appointment."

"Be that as it may, you are here now. What about security system installations?"

"We have a reputation to uphold so we would need to know who your clients are and what services they desire. We do not accept every offer that comes our way. That is how we have built the impressive record of which you speak. We always reserve the right to decline or terminate services at our discretion.

Mr. B spoke next: "We will return to this question. Let us move on to number two: you have worked with and/or for many governmental agencies. Tell us about that."

"No."

"Now, now. Let's not be rude. Especially if you wish to continue your relationship with Colonel Casey."

"That's MR. Casey to you, bub. I'm retired."

Reaching out to touch his arm, Gertrude stopped Casey from going any further. "Mr. B, I have nothing to say regarding any work we may have been contracted for by any governmental organization. With all that you seem to know about us, it should seem apparent that IF we ever did any work like that, it would be impossible for us to talk about it."

"We are well aware of the work you did about seven months ago in Thailand. With a very small team you completely neutralized three of our units and stole a very important asset from us. This was a significant setback for us and brought you to our attention. Surely you can not continue to deny these actions?"

As Gertrude was starting to shake her head Mr. A said: "Name your price."

"There is no price. Just as with your 'point one', we can not … will not … betray any confidences we may have established with a client."

"That is unfortunate, Ms. Verbanski. I assure you, you need to reassess your position."

Before she could respond, Mr. C took over the meeting: "Then let us talk to number three. Our clients need organization and training. Your organization is renowned for this."

"We are flattered by your assessment of _Verbanski Corp_. What do you want from us?"

"Mr. Casey, are you for hire to provide these services?"

"For whom and where?"

"You are a man of few words, just as our research has shown. I ask again, are you available to work for us?"

"Not until we know more of the particulars and we reserve the right to refuse or terminate service at any time."

Mr. A stood up quickly, knocking his chair over backwards. "You two have obviously rehearsed this and spout the party line well. However, you are going to regret being so obstinate." After glaring at Casey and Verbanski, he continued, "Mr. D, let's move to your point."

"Yes, sir. Now, Colonel … sorry ... Mr. Casey ... we wish to procure the spy Sarah Walker. We know she is … was … your partner." Verbanski and Casey both picked up on the slight errors made by Mr. D in addressing them. This was the weak link they needed. Now they just had to come up with a way to exploit that weakness.

"If you are asking me to give her up to you then you can go to hell." The words were no more than out of his mouth when Mr. B took out his gun and shot Casey in the left arm. "Hey, asshole, what was that?" It was barely a graze and stung less than a bee sting. But the precision and speed of the shot definitely got Casey's attention.

Verbanski jumped to her feet before the echo of the shot died away. "Stop that! If you think we are going to cooperate when you are shooting at us you've got another think coming. Do that again and we will see just who are the best operatives in this room!"

"We will take a break while you reconsider your situation. Remember: there is an alternative to you joining us voluntarily." With that the four men walked out.

Verbanski grabbed a bottle of water and rushed over to Casey who was already pulling his jacket off. There was a little blood but nothing to get excited about. He'd been hurt more working on his beloved Crown Victoria over the years. 'You okay?"

"Ungh. Yeah, sure. Baby stuff. Did you see how fast that shot came? That could be a problem if he's that accurate all the time."

"I noticed. Nothing serious there. John, we've got to give them something as a stalling tactic."

"And how were they able to identify us from that mission to Thailand?"

"Yet another mystery. You've picked up on Mr. D being the weak link, right."

"Yeah. But he only talks about Sarah and I'm not giving her up to anyone, anytime."

"Agreed. We'd better get some rest. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"Ungh!"

**Scene 23: January 25, 2013  
****The Present  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

"Morgan, it's Casey! Your friend, mentor, and father of your girlfriend. How can you not want us to go find him?" The debate between Chuck and Morgan had gone on for several minutes.

"Look. I know you two. Chuck, you can't send Sarah out alone. Sarah, you can't stand to be away from Chuck. But Chuck is still healing physically and Sarah is still healing her memories. Can you protect each other enough to get the job done out there? What if one of you doesn't return? I've seen you both without the other and it isn't a pretty sight. No, you both belong together ... RIGHT. HERE!"

"What would Alex say if she knew we refused to go after her father." Morgan could only let his head hang down, holding it with both hands, while shaking it from side to side.

"Go home, Morgan. Be with Alex and let her know we do have a lead. But we have to let it play out before anyone can act. Thank you ... for being our friend." Sarah had knelt down and taken Morgan's hands in hers. When he lifted his eyes to hers, he could see the deep emotional stress she was under, but also the deep friendship they had developed. He nodded, stood, and left quietly.

"That was a wonderful thing you just did for him, Sarah. Once again, you've shown the compassion that I always knew you had, and fell in love with." As they embraced, Chuck continued, "Do you want to go home or should we bunk down here tonight?"

After a moment her reply came in a soft and gentle voice, "Let's just stay here."

The entire suite was ultra-high tech in every way, all designed by Chuck. The other major contribution he made in the design was the addition of a safe room. Only he, Sarah, Morgan and Alex knew of it's existence, just off Chuck's office. It was so well disguised that it would take a thorough inspection and measurement of the suite to tell it was there. It was large enough to hold ten people comfortably, had a kitchenette, restroom with shower, a large table with matching chairs, two queen size beds (each enclosed by curtains) and three sleeper sofas. Chuck rigged the security so a small icon would appear on the computers in Morgan's, Sarah's and his offices as well as on their iPhones. The computer system inside was completely separate from the rest of the suite so they could continue to have outside contact without anyone in the office knowing it.

Several times Chuck and Sarah had used this room when they had stayed too late to make the trip home worthwhile. Of course, they had taken the time to properly christened the room as only they could. Tonight they could stay here, sleep (or at least rest), and be ready the instant anything broke in the case.

As they entered the room Sarah turned to her right and went to the stereo system. She looked through the iPod briefly and then set it to play. "Chuck, will you dance with me? Please?"

As he turned to her, with a smile on his face, Dean Martin's _Return to Me_ began to play. They were in each other's arms in seconds and moved gentled and smoothly to the music.

_** Return to me  
**__** Please come back bella mia  
**__** Hurry back, hurry home to my arms  
**__** To my lips and my heart**_

About half way through Chuck sighed, "Sarah, I love you with all my heart and soul. How is it, the most beautiful girl in the world, is here in my arms?"

Equally quiet came her reply, whispered into his ear: "Mmmmm ... because she only wants to be in the arms of the most special guy in the whole world. Love me, Chuck … love me now." The music continued as Chuck moved Sarah into a dip, just as he did at their wedding.

Their kiss started gently but quickly changed in intensity. Pulling her back upright, Chuck deepened the kiss and pulled her tightly up against him. Sarah, in turn, gripped his shirt with one hand while moving the other into his hair, feeling the texture between her fingers. Moaning, he ran his hands down her flanks as she gently moved her other hand to the back of his neck, and wrapping herself completely around him. They began to move once again to the sounds of the music while continuing their caresses and kisses. Their dancing soon led them to the bed and Chuck gently laid Sarah down. He stood for a moment looking down at his beautiful wife until, with a ravishing smile, she reached out, took his hand, and pulled him down to her. As the music continued to wash over them, they were completely lost in one another.

**Scene 24: January 26, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

It was still dark out but Casey was instantly awake when the door opened. They had not been disturbed in their sleep as yet and it caught him, despite his spy skills, a little off guard. The next he knew, a bucket of cold water was thrown on both him and Gertrude. Just as quickly as their entrance, the perpetrators departed. Turning on the light, Casey growled and Verbanski ran to the door and threw it open. The two regular guards were there looking like nothing had happened. She slammed the door and went to the table while staring at Casey.

"This seems to be along the lines of your interrogation techniques Gertie. Didn't the KGB love to disrupt their prisoners mentally and physically, usually at night?"

"Well, I didn't teach them this. Don't get mad at me!"

"Ungh! More importantly, what do we do now?"

They were both silent for some both jumped up when the door again opened. "Hello, again, Ms. Verbanski, Mr. Casey." Montez was leering at them, well, at Verbanski and her wet T-shirt. "I'm really sorry things have escalated to this point but you two just aren't very cooperative. It's really too bad. We would have made this whole process easy, painless, and quite lucrative. Might I add you certainly are a fine looking woman. You should show off those assets more often."

Casey was out of his seat like a shot but Verbanski stopped him: "Go to hell, you bastard. You ask me to violate everything I hold dear and you say it's my fault. Bring it on. We're ready for whatever you want to do to us."

"I guarantee you, if you touch her, I will come after you and put an end to your desire for women." Montez just laughed, but backed away, quickly drawing his handgun once again.

The door slammed open and Mr. A spoke to her, "Are you two ready to end this nonsense?"

"Whatever you're going to do, just do it and stop yapping about it. If you think this is going to break either one of us, you might as well just kill us."

"That is certainly still an option." Both men turned and walked out.

**Scene 25: January 26, 2013  
****The Present  
****Echo Park**

Morgan's phone buzzed twice just as he entered the courtyard at home. When he looked at the screen he saw the special icon Chuck had programmed in to alert him that the panic room was in use. He tapped in a special code and the icon blinked twice and went off. That told him that it was not an emergency. He smiled. _Chuck and Sarah. They are really something_.

At that moment Alex opened the door and stood there staring at him. "Hey, Alex, I didn't think you would still be up."

"Morgan. No more messing around. Get in here and talk to me." It was obvious she was mad and he knew there would be hell to pay if he tried to hide anything from her. Once they sat down on the sofa she continued, "I need to know what's going on with my dad. We haven't heard from him, Chuck and Sarah either don't return my calls or beg off answering my questions. Now spill!"

"Alex, you know I can't…." Alex cut him off with a glare and then pointed her finger at him menacingly. "Okay, okay, I give. But don't kill the messenger." He took a deep breath, took her hands in his and laid out the entire situation as he knew it.

"So you're telling me no one is out looking for him and Chuck and Sarah refuse to go?" She was shouting now, something she rarely did.

"No, no, no. Lots of people are looking … and Chuck found their first clue just today. We have to wait to see if the locals find anything from that clue. And look, you know Chuck and Sarah's situation. Do you really want those two, as vulnerable as they are, going out into the field again?"

"Morgan, it's my dad…."


	7. Surprises

A/N: A bonus! Sitting here, watching American football playoffs, I have two chapters edited and ready to post, so ... why not! Maybe that's part of this chapter's title, as well. The timeline continues to run pretty straight forward, just on two separate continents and ten hours apart. Italics indicate character's thoughts. Enjoy.

Thanks to all the kind reviewers. You are all so inspiring.

Really appreciate those who actually own these characters allowing us to spend so much time with them.

**VII. Surprises**

**Scene 26: January 26, 2013  
****The Present  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Sarah awoke quite early, immediately feeling the mixed emotions of the previous day and night. On the one hand, she was feeling wonderful. They had made love joyfully, just as they did each time. Being with Chuck Bartowski ... being IN LOVE with Chuck Bartowski ... was the most wonderful experience of her life. Now they were spooning, laying on their left sides, just as they had that morning back in Barstow … and many mornings since. The feel of his arm around her waist and the contact from head to toe was so warm and comforting. She felt protected and safe. _Funny, I never thought I would need anyone to make me feel that way._ She was, after all, the CIA's finest field agent … a lone wolf who depended on no one. Chuck had changed all that. If they could just stay here, forever, she would be content. She wanted to be wrapped in his arms every minute of every day. He had given her so much, and her love grew every day. The only thing that would have made it any better was to be home, warm in their own bed.

So content … and yet….

She had dreamt of Gertrude Verbanski. Now awake, she realized the dreams were more: they were also memories. Their first face to face meeting, in Verbanski's office; they were feeling each other out and it had not gone well. Then they were working together … for Casey's sake ... both dressed in mission black, but discussing Casey … feelings, emotions, fears. Gertrude was questioning how she could ever be anything other than a spy and then asked Sarah if she could give it all up?

It had scared Sarah then, and was still a serious question. She now remembered all … well, almost all … of the joy and happiness being married to Chuck brought, as well as their previous discussions about children and quitting the spy life. Since returning to Chuck, and as her memories came back, she and Gertrude had again worked together, bonding as fellow spies, and … surprisingly ... women in love. _How can I turn my back on her? Or on Casey?_

Despite the dreams, she had slept pretty well. Awakening in Chuck's arms, her initial feelings were of joy, but the turmoil … the arguments … of the previous day returned. She ran through every scenario and permutation she could imagine, trying to find the solution to their dilemma. It always came back to one solution; but it chilled her to consider going through with the idea. _What would happen if…._

**Meanwhile….**

_Barstow_. Ah, that wonderful morning when he was awakened by Sarah, caressing his fingers, which were laying on her hip. A smile crept across his lips this morning as he lay with his love again, in that same position, except now his arm was tight around her waist and her hand was holding his, their fingers intertwined. There were still moments when he could not believe his incredible luck to have this beautiful woman in his arms and bed. The gods had certainly shone down upon him the night Bryce Larkin sent him the Intersect. That event, amazing as it was in and of itself, was the catalyst that sent one Sarah Walker, spy extraordinaire, into the _Buy More,_ and into his life. Now that same incredible goddess was his wife; forever destined to be his partner … his love … his life. _If we can just get to a point in our lives where the spy life stops intruding into our blissful oneness._

"Chuck, are you awake?"

"Good morning, lovely wife of mine."

A huge smile came across Sarah's face, but she needed to be serious right now. "I think I need to go find Casey and Verbanski."

Chuck increased the pressure around her waist: _Wow! That came out of nowhere._ "Only if I come along." Chuck paused a moment, feeling the tension grow in her lithe body, and then continued, "Sarah … I promise to stay in the car."

Sarah could feel his smile on her shoulder, and she knew her smile matched his. Willing herself to relax, she replied, "Remember, sweetie: I fell in love with you because ... because you NEVER stayed in the car."

"Okay, okay, okay," he said, squeezing her waist once again. "As long as we are together. We are always better together. Who can stand against us?" Chuck pulled her to him and kissed her temple. Even held tightly, she was able to turn in his arms to face him. Their eyes locked: his ... chocolate brown ... her's ... ocean blue ... and they each could see love being reflected, one to the other. Their lips came together and they were once again transported into a whirlwind of joy and delight.

Bzzzzzzzz … Bzzzzzzzzz….

"Damn, that's twice this week Morgan's interrupted us. This better be important."

Chuck grabbed his iPhone to take the call but, instead of Morgan speaking on the phone, the television screen turned on and General Beckman was staring at them.

"Oh … uh … General … uh … sorry we … didn't realize it … uh … was you calling." Chuck stammered through as they both scrambled around and he pulled the bed covers up to his chin. Sarah dove under the covers and then peaked out shyly, her hair a complete mess, sticking out every which way.

"Sorry Bartowski's, to interrupt you this morning, but we have news and need to move quickly. Should I give you a couple of minutes?"

"Yes, please. We will call you in less than five minutes." Chuck clicked off the screen and both he and Sarah collapsed in a fit of giggles. "I guess that's the end of this morning's love fest. Let's go, baby." With a final, quick smooch, they rolled out and grabbed their clothes.

As she grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom Chuck heard Sarah muttering: "Have to put a filter on these damned monitors; tired of people dropping in on us like that!" It was all Chuck could do not to fall down, laughing at his lovely spy girl.

They shared the bathroom as well as the space would allow, dressed, and moved out to Chuck's office in under four minutes. Sarah ran out to grab coffee for them both and Chuck placed the call back to Beckman.

"Sorry, General. We were still trying to catch up after a late night." Sarah blushed as she realized her attempt to justify being caught in bed due to working late actually sounded more like they had been … uh … _working late_, as it were.

Beckman continued to stare. Then the briefest smile crossed her face before she resumed her business attitude. "Understood, Sarah. Now to the matter at hand. We have just received word from the Swinbitian locals that they found the burned out SUV's. Four male bodies were found. All shot, as well as burned. Two had several weapons and appear to be _VCorp's_ two operatives. That would leave two UN officials, who, at this time, appear to be the ambassador and the doctor."

"But no sign of Casey or Verbanski?"

"No. None of the bodies was a women and none big enough to be Casey. If we are right about the two UN officials' bodies, that leaves Senor Rafael Montez, the ambassador's assistant, unaccounted for as well. Sarah, I must have your answer right now as to whether you will go to Africa and try to sort this out."

"Yes, General. Both Chuck and I will be going. It is important that I have his backup for this mission."

"Are you sure that is wise. As I understand it, Chuck, you are still having some physical issues."

"Nothing serious General, just continuing to strengthen myself. Nothing we can't cope with together. We will need your assistance in travel arrangements."

"An Air Force jet is waiting for you at Bob Hope Airport. It is cleared to leave as soon as you are onboard. How long do you think it will take to get ready?"

'We can be out of _CI_ in about an hour, then it's about an hour drive to BHA at this time of day. Two hours for wheels up."

"I will alert the pilots. Thank you both. Good luck. Keep in touch."

"So … she already has a jet awaiting us. Are we that predictable?"

"We definitely need to work on that." Reaching out, Chuck touched his wife's shoulder gently. "Thank you, Sarah. I know this decision was difficult for you."

"Above and beyond all else, I need you with me; as much, or more, than to know you are here but out of my ability to protect you. But, Chuck…."

"Yes, Sarah?"

"You have to do what I tell you, when I tell you. If you get so much as a scratch on this mission, you are going to have to answer to Sarah Walker, CIA's number one interrogator, and trained assassin." She was standing close and poking her index finger into his chest. There was humor in her voice but also an edge Chuck recognized from their many spy missions.

"Now that scares me a whole lot more than any terrorists, kidnappers, or warlords ever could."

Chuck's smile was wide and Sarah smiled back but there was also an element of concern in her eyes. "Chuck, there is something I need to show you."

**Scene 27: January 26, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

With their bedding and clothes soaked, there was no way they would get any more sleep. There was still a little food from the previous evening so they sat down to eat. Casey made coffee and they both enjoyed the black, bitter liquid. "Too bad I don't have any more cigars," Casey grunted. Verbanski just smiled back at him.

As dawn was beginning to break they moved quietly to the door and opened it a crack. As they expected, their guards, while still at their posts, had both drifted off to sleep. They quickly moved through the door, each grabbing a guard and quietly subduing them. Grabbing the AK-47's and 9mm Barettas the guards were carrying, they moved to each corner of the building. Peering around the corners, they saw two more guards along each wall. These, too, were quietly dispatched.

There was just enough morning glow now for them to see where there were more guards and a clear path to the other cabin. They had to assume their captors were all in that building. With the stealth and speed of many years of spying, Casey and Verbanski moved to the rear of the other cabin and entered through the back door. They stood completely still, waiting to see if they had been heard. Finally, as they became more confident they had not been heard, their eyes adjusted enough for them to see the room was empty, and that there was a door in the opposite wall. Again, they were quickly through this door, unheard and unseen.

Suddenly there was a shout from outside followed by lights being turned on. Four men in the room arose quickly and began pulling on their pants. There was a knock on the door which Verbanski answered with a volley of shots from her AK-47 into the top of the door. Casey quickly followed with a burst of his own over the heads of the men in the room, now kneeling to avoid being hit.

"Well, well, well. Up early today, aren't we? You are taking quite a chance here. How do you know the guards won't just come in and gun you down?" Mr. A had his hands up as he stood, looking from Verbanski to Casey and back again.

"I told you last night to just do whatever you were planning and get it over with. I'm tired of waiting for you to get to the point. Now, are we going to stand here and wait for someone out there to get itchy or are we going to sit down and talk honestly?"

Unexpectedly there was hand clapping from the doorway behind Casey. The Baretta was quickly in his hand, pointed at the doorway, as another man walked slowly out, still clapping his hands. First Casey, and then Verbanski, could not contain their surprise as Ambassador Giordano walked into the room, smiling a very self-satisfied smile.

"Bravo! Bravo! Well done, my friends. I have been wondering how long it would be for you to take action, and if you would be successful. My congratulations for a well executed, albeit futile, take over."

"Giordano? But we saw Montez shoot you."

**Scene 28: January 26, 2013  
****The Present  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Sarah took Chuck's hand and led him back into the safe room. Going to the far right wall she walked up to the bookcase and said, "Pull out the _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe_." When he did there was a click and the right side of the middle section of the bookcase popped outward. Chuck looked at her in surprise and then pulled the section back revealing a door. She pointed to a box on the wall and he recognized a retina scanner. Putting his face close to the screen it quickly read his eye, flashed his picture and the door slid aside revealing a staircase that curled around and down to their right. It was similar to Castle but with the additional element of class, with stone walls and steps, and a dark wood banister. The lights came on in a large room at the bottom of the stairs as they descended, while the door slid closed behind them. Chuck's mouth dropped open and he stared back and forth between the room and Sarah's face.

"Wha, wha, what … when … how … Sarah? I knew nothing about this. How did you? Who else knows about this?"

Sarah stepped up to him, giving him a soft kiss. "Stop spiraling Chuck. Breath."

All he could do was look around in wonder. Before him was an armory that was every bit as impressive as Castle's had been; maybe even more so. There were also two workout spaces with the latest equipment, and a dojo with walls lined with all the training equipment from Castle.

"The idea for this came once you insisted on building the safe room. I wasn't sure you would approve because we weren't suppose to be doing any more spy work, but I just couldn't see getting rid of all the equipment, a.) to keep our training up, and b.) just in case we ever needed it. Casey and I are the only one's who know about this … until now. I needed his help in securing all the equipment and getting it moved in here without anyone else's knowledge. I hope you aren't mad."

"I'm surprised … amazed … wow … don't even know what to say. But no, I'm not mad. I guess under the present circumstances I'm really glad it's all here. But Sarah, we said no lies, no secrets. When were you going to reveal this to me?"

"Just as soon as you were ready to resume serious training, which is pretty much any day now, right?"

Just then Chuck's phone buzzed with a message from Morgan. "Oh, oh. Alex is on her way into the office. We better get up there asap." They both turned and left quickly hoping to get out of the safe room before Alex arrived.

**Scene 29: January 26, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

"Giordano? But we saw Montez shoot you." Verbanski spoke, but the words were echoing in both their brains, as they stared at him. An expletive formed on Casey's lips but his voice wouldn't work and he just stood, staring at the man, his rifle sagging in his disbelief.

"Ah, yes. A well choreographed sequence, my dear…."

Now with more anger, Gertrude interrupted, "What about our associates … and Dr. Alverez, your UN doctor?"

"I assure you, Jenkins and Harvey are alive and well, and already on another assignment."

"What?" Verbanski screamed at him. "Assignment?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know. They have been in our employ for quite some time. What is it you call that? Oh, yes … double agents. Please, Mr. Casey, Ms. Verbanski, put down your weapons. There is no chance you can use them without losing your own lives. Over on the table, by the rear door, would be a good place. Hopefully we can be a little more civilized with each other now that you know I am still alive."

_Even now it was still all about the ambassador and his damned ego_. Verbanski lowered the AK-47 and nodded to Casey to do the same.

"Come ... let us talk over breakfast. Mr. A, please go outside and reassure the soldiers that all is well. Mr. B, please see to breakfast for us all … in here."

As they were leaving Montez came running in with a wild look in his eye. "What's happening? Is everyone alright?"

The ambassador chuckled, "Relax, Rafael. Our guests were just testing our security. We definitely need to increase our troops' alertness. See, I told you we needed their expertise. Breakfast is coming. Let's all sit down. We can all act civilized despite the crude surroundings."

"Ungh! Civilized? You are delusional!"

"Okay, okay," holding her hands in front of her, palms down, in a calming motion. "It's time you level with us Giordano. What happened back at the camp?" Verbanski spoke calmly but she was feeling anything but. How had he fooled so many people for so long? She could no longer think of him as 'ambassador'. Now he was just another thug trying to terrorize people into doing his bidding.

Just as he started to speak three servants entered carrying trays of food, so he waited until they had departed and everyone had food and coffee. The ambassador, Montez and Mr.'s A, B, C, and D were all seated around the table along with Casey and Verbanski. If one didn't know better it might have been a group of friends out on safari. But there was an unmistakeable uneasiness permeating the room.

"Alright, Giordano, spill." Casey always had a way of getting to the point.

"There is little to tell actually. We needed to shock you in order to judge your reactions. Your operatives knew what was coming and did a splendid job of selling their murder. As I said, they are already long gone on a new assignment. Obviously they won't be returning to _Verbanski Corp_." His attempt at humor received no reaction from Gertrude but it was all she could do to not punch him in the face.

"What about Dr. Alverez?"

"Ah, yes. That is regrettable. We did have to eliminate him so the authorities would identify him, making it appear that at least some of our group had been killed. Such a good man. But then there are always regrettable losses in combat."

"Combat? Are you crazy? This isn't combat! You killed a perfectly innocent man, as well as a wonderful humanitarian and doctor."

"All true, Ms. Verbanski. But what is done, is done. The living must move on."

Casey stood and walked away from the table to stare out a window. Mr. B and C jumped to their feet too, but Giordano waved them to sit down. "You have both killed people; some innocent I'll wager. I don't understand your reaction to all this."

Casey turned to face them once again. "I guess we've just gotten soft these past few years. Other things … people ... all seem more important now. You're just another murderer."

"I'm very sorry that you feel that way, Mr. Casey."

**Scene 30: January 26, 2013  
****The Present  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Alex was already on a roll as Chuck and Sarah entered his office. "...and if you believe, MR. Grimes, you can just…."

"Good morning everyone," Chuck called out. "Nice to see you this morning Alex."

"Don't start with me, Chuck Bartowski. Your little smile and happy banter just isn't going to cut it today." Then she turned towards Sarah: "And YOU! I thought we were friends: sharing so much and you helping me with the propo … er, other things. How can you do this to me … and dad?"

"Alex, please let's…."

"NO! I don't want to hear it. You three were the very best team ever! You saved each other time and again. Now my dad is missing and you aren't lifting a finger to do anything about it!"

Chuck tried to interrupt again, "Please, let us tell…."

"Tell me what? You don't do that work anymore? You don't have the equipment and CIA backing anymore? What? What can you tell? I already know your excuses!" She finished with her hands on her hips, feet set firmly apart and her head up with chin out in a pose of defiance.

"Alex-please-stop-talking-and-let-us-tell-you-what-we-now-know-and-what-is-being-done.-There-is-a-lot-you-don't-know-this-morning.-Please-let-us-explain." Chuck had said all this so fast that three heads turned to him in amazement. At least it stopped Alex for a moment.

"Alex, honey, let's let Chuck and Sarah tell us their news. I'll get coffee for everyone … and I brought danish, too."

Alex pretty much stomped her way over to the conference table and sat down. Chuck and Sarah sat on each side of her. As they waited, Sarah gently reached out and placed her hand on top of Alex's. Alex started to pull away, but when she looked Sarah in the eyes she could see the hurt and concern there, so she relaxed a tad and left her hand under Sarah's. Morgan came back quickly and they all took a cup of coffee and quietly sipped the strong, hot brew. Sarah continued to hold her hand, however.

"Okay," Chuck started, "yesterday we found the SUV's and army jeep from the convoy. General Beckman was able to get the locals to check out the site and found four bodies, none of them John or Gertrude." As he said 'bodies' Alex had inhaled quickly and tensed her hand under Sarah's. But she relaxed a little once she heard him say none were her dad.

Sarah continued, " We have discussed the situation at length with Diane … er, General Beckman … over the past 36 hours and even argued vehemently with each other. But we've decided that we are the best team to go find them and are leaving within the hour."

"Oh, Sarah." Alex grabbed both Sarah's hands, "You two have no idea what this means to me. Please forgive me for my tirade a few minutes ago. I'm just beside myself with worry."

"We're worried, too, Alex. This intel just confirmed what we already knew we should do, but were afraid to admit. We'll find them, and bring them home safe and sound. Piece of cake!" As Chuck said this he wasn't looking at Alex, but rather at Sarah. They exchanged determined looks, knowing they were doing the right thing.

"Thanks, Chuck. Sarah, I'm so, so sorry I questioned our friendship."

"No problem. We all say things we don't mean when we are in pain like this."

Morgan had not said a word but when Chuck said they were going into the field he stood and walked over to the windows, staring out, but not really seeing anything. Turning back to them he said quietly, "And what am I suppose to do?"

"You, little buddy, need to be here, keeping things running, and making it appear as if we are here … just really, really busy. No one can know we are gone. If Ellie calls … heck, if the President of the United States calls ... we are in meetings for the foreseeable future and will get back to them at our convenience."

"Chuck's right, Morgan. And we need you to be the control center for us here. You saw how Chuck handled that when I was out with _VCorp,_ so you need to be our eyes and ears now. Hopefully Beckman can continue to get the cooperation of the locals. You will be the nerve center for the whole mission."

"Fine. But I'm not going to be the one to tell Ellie!"


	8. Mile High

A/N: Thanks to one and all for the very kind comments and for continuing to read. I know this is taking a long time to set everything up. Just seemed like there were a lot of backstory to get in there. Your comments are all very inspiring and I hope I can live up to all the positive reviews. The timeline is running pretty much straight forward now but keep track of which continent the scene is set in.

A big thank you to the writers, network and studio for giving us such a wonderful world and such rich characters. Please don't sue me for playing with them for this brief time. You won't really get anything anyway.

Onward...

**VIII. Mile High**

**Scene 31: January 26, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

"Listen, Giordano, Casey and I both know that if we don't agree to talk to you, or work for you, in whatever it is you want, you will kill us. We could agree and then betray you but, again, you will kill us. And some of what you ask is impossible for us to do or our other clients will kill us. We are in a lose/lose situation here. Therefore, we really have nothing more to lose by just waiting you out."

Mr. A started to speak but she forcefully stuck her fork into the table top very near his left hand and waved him off with her other hand. "We also know you have gone to a great deal of trouble to set up the UN visit, while insisting I be the one to lead the group. All the travel arrangements, these camps, the guards, vehicles and provisions have left you in debt to someone; I would guess your Somali bosses. They are going to be displeased if you just kill us and come back empty handed. So, you see, you may have all the guns, but we have you by the … uh, well … little boy parts." Sitting back, she looked from Giordano to Mr. A to Montez and back again. It was all she could do not to smirk but knew it wasn't the time to push them too far.

Mr. A and Montez tried to look defiant and in control but it was obvious she had shaken them with her analysis of the situation; not to mention their eyes, which kept straying back to the fork, still sticking in the tabletop! Giordano still looked his pompous self, smiled and then asked, "Okay, Ms. Verbanski. How do you propose we proceed?"

"First, you have to accept that we will not betray any past or present clients. Second, you have to give us enough information for us to make an intelligent decision on whether to work for you or not. Third, to negotiate means we both give and take. Your power plays won't work on us. Threats can not be part of the equation.

Giordano looked Verbanski in the eyes for a long moment before answering. "I have one more card to play: by now the UN mission vehicles have been found, along with four dead bodies. But no Verbanski, no Casey. We have pictures of you two loading obviously stolen weapons onto a truck that will be identified as Somali. Even without the pictures, it is likely there is a burn notice out on you both as we speak. If we release the pictures you are as good as dead … by the very people you are trying to protect.

"Now, here is the deal I am authorized to offer: we are finalizing the purchase of certain black market materials. We want to employ you to be a part of our security team. Ms. Verbanski, we need your assistance in getting into _Conglomérat Delta_ headquarters in Cairo. We are meeting with Henri Dumante, an acquaintance of yours, who insists you make the introductions.

"This will also allow you to evaluate our purpose and _modus operandi_. In addition, we need you to inspect the merchandise so we know we are getting our money's worth. We will pay _Verbanski Corp_ two million dollars for this service. We will then each have grounds on which to negotiate your further employment with us."

Casey had been silent up to this point; Gertrude was in control of the discussions. But now he added, "And Sarah Walker: she is off the table or we are done here. That's a deal breaker!"

"May I ask why you are so adamant about this?"

"No, you may not ask."

After a pause, Giordano sighed, looked at both Casey and Verbanski, and then said, "Why don't we take some time to freshen up. Your impromptu visit this morning has disrupted my usual morning routine. We will continue talking after lunch." Giordano, followed by Mr. A and Montez, stood and walked towards the door to the back room.

Gertrude and Casey stood also, but she had one more task to accomplish. Grabbing one of the AK-47's, she hooked an arm around Montez' neck, pulling him backwards, out of balance. Sticking the muzzle in his neck, she hissed, "You! If you ever so much as come near me or look at my chest again I will remove your eyeballs and make you eat them!" Before anyone could react she shoved Montez away, threw the gun on the table, and exited. Casey looked at them for a fraction of a second with a sneer on his face, before turning and following her out. Montez had his hand to his throat, trying not to lose his breakfast, as the door slammed shut.

**Scene 32: January 26, 27, 2013  
****The Present  
****USAF Gulfstream**

It was closer to three hours before Sarah and Chuck arrived at the airport. Once they had calmed Alex and Morgan, they still had to pack. Sarah was done in minutes but Chuck was still working on his cases as she watched, slowly tapping her toe on the floor. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm the world's slowest packer. I just don't want to forget anything."

Chuckling, Sarah told him, "Sweetie, we can get whatever else we need over there. Beckman has us all set with the locals."

"And you trust them? Really ... Sarah, I don't rely on or trust anyone, Walker?"

"Don't know who you are talking about there mister, but she sounds really lonely. I, on the other hand, trust YOU implicitly. But we really do need to get rolling here."

Standing, Chuck gave her a grin, grabbed his bags and walked over to his lovely wife. "Sarah Walker was a beautiful, wonderful spy; you'd like her. You, on the other hand, are a beautiful, wonderful woman, and I love you. Now, are you ready or do I have to wait for you to move?"

Sarah slapped him on the arm, eliciting a pout from her handsome husband, and then leaned in for a gentle kiss. "Let's go, husband. The bed on that plane awaits." His pout was quickly replaced by a crooked grin and slightly glazed eyes.

Once in the air, they settled in with the materials General Beckman had provided, and worked for about three hours. One of the flight crew, an Air Force lieutenant, named Jeff Corbin, interrupted them when he came in with dinner trays and a nice wine. Before beginning to eat they agreed not to talk about work while they ate; it would provide a nice respite as well as make the joy of being together even better. Once finished, they helped clean up the remains, despite the protests of Lt. Corbin.

"Mr. & Mrs. Carmichael, there is a separate section in the rear of the cabin with a bathroom and bed. Please feel free to utilize these as we are only about a quarter of the way through our flight."

"Thank you, Lt. Corbin. Do you or the pilots need to use the facilities?"

"No thank you, Mr. Carmichael. We have our own restroom."

**A little later….**

Chuck was laying on the bed in his t-shirt and boxers when Sarah came out of the bathroom. His heart rate always shot up and breathing became more difficult whenever this golden haired beauty walked into his sight wearing her T-shirt and boy shorts. "See something you like here, mister?" She said with one of her electric smiles.

"Uh, ah, oh, yeah, wha, wha … oh yeah!" He slowly got his brain back under control and said softly, "You are so pretty!"

Sarah was starting to climb onto the bed when they heard: "Mr. & Mrs. Carmichael, this is the Captain. Very sorry to interrupt your rest but there is something up here we think you might enjoy seeing."

"Wonder what that could be?" They pulled on their jeans and Sarah slipped on Chuck's button down shirt as they left the rear cabin and walked to the cockpit. They were met by the copilot and ushered into the small cockpit.

"Welcome. I'm really sorry to wake you but this can be exciting for some to see. Mrs. Carmichael, please, sit in the copilot's seat. Sorry we don't have any more space in here."

"Thank you, Captain. No problem with the space. What do you have here?" Once she was in the seat, Chuck knelt down between the seats, as well as he could with his long legs.

"If you will look forward and up you will see a KC-135 _Stratotanker_. We are going to do a midair refueling."

"Wow!" Both Chuck and Sarah exclaimed together. It was completely dark now, but the tanker, and the boom extending from the rear were clearly visible. They could see the end coming to them and were amazed at how gently their pilot eased the aircraft up to it, followed by a very gentle jolt as they connected. It was amazing how their pilot kept so calm as he held the aircraft in complete sync with the tanker and boom. One misstep and they would become a huge ball of flame.

They were connected for several minutes, but it seemed to Chuck and Sarah only seconds, before the Captain waved to the boom operator in the KC-135 and then pulled down and away from the boom. "Thanks, Big Hose, for the refreshments. Have a safe trip home."

"Thank you, sir, and enjoy the high octane."

"Well now, I'm sure that wasn't the most exciting thing you've ever seen, but thought you would enjoy seeing it up close and personal."

"Captain, that was amazing. And you guys make it look so easy, like an every day event." Chuck was practically gushing with excitement.

"I agree. Thank you. I've been on planes when they refueled but never actually gotten to watch. Truly a wonderful display by our country's finest."

"Mr. & Mrs. Carmichael, according to General Beckman, you two are our finest in your line of work, so it is a privilege to escort you safely to your destination. Go get some rest now. I'm sure you will be busy once we arrive."

They all exchanged 'good night's' and Sarah and Chuck returned to their small cabin. Once they were gone the copilot returned to his seat. "Wow! That is one gorgeous lady. And she's one of our top spies? Wonder how that ever happened?"

"He's one lucky guy, that's for sure!"

Once back in the sleep compartment, Chuck quickly undressed again and jumped on the bed. Sarah just stood there looking at her man … her handsome, wonderful husband … her Chuck. "See something you like here, missy?" Chuck waved his hand at himself and smiled ear to ear.

Sarah, her heart racing, smiled back while moving to straddle him on the bed. She leaned down, began to devour his neck, and muttered, "Yum!"

**Scene 33: January 26, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

"Montez, I have to fly to Mogadishu prior to our meeting in Cairo. Do you think you can keep our guests from killing you? Find a way to convince them to cooperate. If they do not agree, they must be eliminated here and now."

"Yes, sir. I will take care of it. Have a good trip and we'll see you in Cairo." Montez turned and left immediately.

Giordano turned to the other man in the room, "Walters, you know what to do once we get into the meeting, right?"

"We're set. There won't be enough left of them to collect without using Q-Tips and tweezers."

**Meanwhile….**

"So, who the hell is Henri Dumante?" Casey had been quiet since leaving the meeting with Giordano but that just served to amp up his anger. He knew he shouldn't direct it towards Gertrude but she was the only one present.

"He's _DeltaCon's_ underworld contractor. Anyone wanting their black market weapons works through him. I've bought a few things from him over the years. But mostly, I've tried to keep him from funneling tactical weapons to the wrong people. We have a mutual respect for one another, but wouldn't mind eliminating each other should the opportunity arise."

"Ungh! Damned Frenchmen." Gertrude knew from the grunt that Casey was not a happy camper. But she also knew he was a professional, as well as her partner. He would back her up without hesitation.

They had just finished cleaning up when there was a knock on the door. Casey tentatively opened it, already in combat mode in case their 'hosts' had something new in store for them. However, it was the young girl they saw on their first night in captivity. Again, she was carrying food and water for their lunch. Verbanski attempted to strike up a conversation but the girl did not reply to her questions in any of the languages she tried. Either she did not understand or had been warned not to say anything.

"I wonder what her story is, John? She's obviously a servant, but I wonder if these bastards are using her in other ways as well?"

"Gertie, we can't save every stray that shows up on our doorstep. Ungh … Bartowski's gotten to you, too, hasn't he?"

"Just hate seeing someone like her put in these situations."

They ate in silence after that, each in their own thoughts. As they were finishing Montez entered, looking much less confident than before. He came no further than inside the door.

"Ms. Verbanski, Mr. Casey, forgive the intrusion. Ambassador Giordano had to leave but asked me to bring you a message." He paused looking to them for a sign to go on.

"Well…." Verbanski had really gotten to him because he definitely cringed when she spoke this simple word.

"Uh, yes … he has been suddenly called away. However, we have received confirmation of the meeting with our suppliers. Are you willing to work with us?"

Both Verbanski and Casey noticed the 'work WITH us' rather than 'work FOR us'. After sharing a glance at Casey, she answered, "Yes, Montez, we will do this job. You do realize there is bad blood between Dumante and me?"

"Yes, Ms. Verbanski, we know of your history. However, there also seems to be a mutual respect. Monsieur Dumante requested you specifically."

"Alright. Do you have a timetable as yet?"

"Yes. We are leaving camp at 0800 tomorrow so please be up and ready to travel. We will be on the road about eight hours."

"Is that all? Where has Giordano gone?"

"I am not sure, Mr. Casey. I have told you everything I know."

"We'll be ready. Will you be accompanying us, as well?"

"No. I also have a different assignment for the next few days." Senor Montez straightened his shoulders and tried to put a hard edge on his voice as he continued: "Let me remind you, you are still in hostile territory and there is no love lost between us. Any attempt to escape or contact any of your associates will be dealt with swiftly." With that he turned on his heel and marched out.

Once he left, and the door closed, both Casey and Verbanski broke into laughter. They didn't know if Montez had been chastised that morning, or if it was Gertrude's threat that had so cowed him, but he was definitely a broken man compared to the bravado of the past two weeks.

"Guess he was looking for his man parts there at the end."

"Nothing there to find, I'll wager." That brought on more laughter.

"So where do we go from here?"

"I don't think we have any choice other than to proceed, at least for the time being, with this 'job'. Once we get to the meeting, we can make the appropriate adjustments."

"Are you thinking this might be connected to Beckman's sub-mission? If it is, we're on the wrong side."

"Yeah, I thought of that, too. Which, on one hand is good, because we are being led right to it. On the other hand, we can't serve two masters."

"Ungh! Guess we'll just have to play that one by ear." After a short pause he continued, "What say we get a nap in … it was a very early, and rude, awakening, and we need to be at our best."

"Oh, I think we're always at our best, but a little rest will be good." As she was saying this she walked up to Casey and wound her arms around his neck. They stared into each others' eyes briefly before she pulled his head down to her's and kissed him. Pulling her even closer, Casey deepened the kiss, and it was some time before they actually fell asleep, lying in each others' arms.


	9. Flash

A/N: Moving along here. I know it may seem to move slowly and I'm sorry. Guess I just had a lot to say. Incidentally, I wanted to apologize for the horrible grammar in last chapter's A/N. For having edited the chapter itself about eight times, I just wrote the A/N and posted it. Oops! Thanks, as always, to all you who are reading, and especially to those who have left comments. I try to reply to them all, if only to say thank you. Several have reviewed as "Guest" so I don't have a way to reply to you; just let me say it now: Thanks!

In addition to not owning anything to do with Chuck, except a treasured, signed poster, and all the DVD's, I also don't own _Star Trek_, _Search for Spock_, or Mr. Scott. But I sure appreciate getting to use one of my all time favorite lines. Dah, Dah, Dah, Dot, Dah, Dahhhh ... CHARGE!

**IX. Flash**

**Scene 34: January 27, 2013  
****The Present  
****USAF Gulfstream / Nbora Airport**

Chuck awoke, laying on his right side, with his back to Sarah, which was unusual as they typically awoke in each others' arms. He had been dreaming and it was quickly fading, but he remembered enough to know it had not been pleasant. Sarah and he were on a mission and she lay, unconscious at his feet. His breathing was rapid and shallow. That was all he remembered and was glad he knew it was just a dream.

He felt Sarah move and emit a low moan so he turned onto his back to look at his beautiful wife. It was the daily joy in his life, to wake up next to this gorgeous woman. But this morning she was frowning and twitching about. Not wanting to startle her, he gently reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder. She jerked away from him violently and her eyes flew open with fear and worry written all over her face.

"Chuck … Chuck, is it really you? You ARE here!" And she grabbed him and hugged him to her with all the strength in her body. Although he always enjoyed her embraces, she was very strong and was practically strangling him. Chuck tried to push away and rasped out, "Sarah, baby, it's me … and you're choking me. Relax, honey!"

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I guess I was dreaming. You were being kidnapped and I was fighting through a gang of madmen, but the harder I fought, the further away you got." Sarah pulled Chuck back into her embrace again, albeit, not as tightly. Chuck returned her hug this time and added kisses to her temple, cheek and neck.

"Funny … I was having a nightmare, too: you were hurt and unconscious. I guess we are both having some doubts and worries about this mission."

Sarah snuggled into Chuck's side with her face firmly planted in his neck. She was not releasing her hold on him this time. She mumbled something that he couldn't understand but her breath on his skin sent tingles up and down his body. Just as he was about to pull her head up for a kiss there was a knock on the compartment door followed by, "Mr. & Mrs. Carmichael: we are about an hour out from landing. Breakfast is prepared for you as soon as you are ready."

"Thanks, lieutenant. Come on baby, they're not going to let us finish this, so we might as well get moving."

She mumbled something else while pulling him in as closely as possible. They both enjoyed the feeling of being in each others' arms until Sarah finally rolled away with a sigh. "Don't think I'm forgetting this missed opportunity, Mr. Walker." It was accompanied by her first smile of the day which, like always, set Chuck's heart on fire.

"Oh you can count on that, Mrs. Bartowski," he countered, along with his own big smile.

They left the room hand in hand and walked down the length of the jet to where breakfast was waiting on a table. Just as they sat down and began eating they felt the engines change pitch, signaling the descent to the Nbora Airport.

"Okay, so we are the Carmichael's once again." Sarah was strapping on her various knife holders and Chuck, as always, was amazed at how and where she could hide so many lethal weapons. "We are part of the UN and have come to investigate the disappearance of the first team. Anything else we need to touch base on before landing?"

"That's it for now. Chuck, these people do not have much regard for women so you will need to do most of the talking. With Gertrude leading the UN team, I wonder if that may have played a part in something going wrong?"

"It's unbelievable there are still people out there who do not consider each and every individual as equals and that women have just as much to contribute as men. Sure be a big step in changing the world into a better place."

"Amen to that. But in the meantime, we have to play the game."

"Gotcha."

The jet rolled to a private hangar where they were met by a small group of military and civilian personnel. A ground crew unloaded the luggage and supplies while Chuck and Sarah walked towards a group of men standing by a sedan and two army jeeps.

One man detached himself from the group and met them halfway with this hand outstretched. As they all shook hands he spoke: "Welcome to Swinbitia. I'm Seth Brownfield, the local station chief. Please call me Seth. I've been briefed and will be your liaison with the local officials. They aren't a bad bunch, as these types go, and will be even more helpful when they see the medical supplies you've brought along."

"We are the Carmichael's: Sarah, my wife, and I'm Charles. We're glad you're here to help. What do we do first?"

"We can use this hangar as our base. Do you have equipment to be setup?"

"Yes. Is there a computer and terminal in here?"

"Yep, right over there, in the office. I'll make the introductions and then we can get that started." Brownfield led them to the three men waiting for them by the vehicles.

"Gentlemen, allow me to introduce Mr. Charles Carmichael and his wife and associate, Mrs. Sarah Carmichael. They are a part of the United Nations African Relief Project and are here to see if they can solve the mystery of the disappearance of the previous UN mission. Please allow me to introduce Vice Governor Finonni of the Swinbitian government, Mr. Gottitobi, airport administrator and Colonel Ngobi of the Swinbitian army."

Hands were shaken all around. It was easy to tell they were all awe-struck by Mrs. Carmichael; they had no idea how resourceful and dangerous she could really be. Chuck spoke first, "Thank you so much for allowing us to come to your country. We are pleased you are willing to allow us to investigate. And we appreciate all the assistance you have offered; I am sure we will need your help. We have also brought a supply of medicine and equipment we know you are sorely in need of for your people."

Vice Governor Finonni bowed slightly and said, "Most gracious, Mr. Carmichael. We want to assist in any way possible. Mr. Brownfield will coordinate whatever you need from our end. We just ask that you keep us informed of your progress."

Major Ngobi saluted them: "We also ask that you allow two of our officers, and their men, to accompany you. They know the territory and language so, hopefully, we can avoid the same fate befalling you and your wife." As he said 'wife' his look towards Sarah bordered on complete lechery. She smiled back at him demurely, looking down and tilting her head to the left. Then, in a sudden move, she looked back up while swirling her hair around from left to right. She caught the eyes of each man with those devastatingly beautiful blue eyes and then … she winked. The devastation of these three men was sudden and complete. The Major practically fell backwards, before turning slowly to move back to the others, who were also slumping, looking sheepishly down at their feet.

"It will take us about two hours to get our communications gear set up and then we would like to get the journey started, if that is appropriate." Chuck had to work hard to keep a straight face, knowing what Sarah had just done to each of the men standing before her. As he looked at them there was no sympathy in his eyes … just glee in how easily she had intimidated them.

With that, Chuck turned, took Sarah's hand, and walked towards the office, followed by Brownfield. The other three stood, staring after them, and finally walked to their vehicles, while shaking their heads. Once inside the office husband and wife broke into laughter. Seth was smiling, too, "Well, I've never quite seen anyone put in their place quite so elegantly, Mrs. Carmichael. Well done."

"Please, call me Sarah and my husband is Chuck. And thank you. It's something we've done before."

"I had heard you were an impressive pair but that was really something. They're going to be thinking about that smile and wink for the rest of the day; and their wives are going to wonder what they've been up to."

Chuck and Sarah quickly got their equipment up and running. Brownfield assured them the room was completely shielded and would be guarded while they were gone; the equipment and their work would be safe. They ran diagnostics by contacting Morgan and General Beckman. All the connections worked as expected. Morgan informed them they had two new potential clients that he and Alex were going to meet with the following day. Beckman had some news as well: there was a terrorist/arms dealer meet going down sometime soon, and once she knew more, would like Sarah to investigate while Chuck continued to track Casey and Verbanski. After double checking protocols and codes they all signed off.

"Chuck, I don't like the idea of separating. I think Beckman is trying to play us now that she has us back in the field."

"My sentiments exactly, babe. Maybe we'll just have to be 'out of range'," he said using air quotes, "when she calls back." They both laughed and high-fived followed by a kiss.

"Okay, we need to hit the road."

**Scene 35: January 26, 2013  
****The day before  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

Casey woke up as the setting sun was streaming in the cabin's western window. He had slept well, as he usually did on missions. Something in his make up allowed him to shut everything down when in the field, which allowed him to rest and awaken refreshed and alert. This latter quality was equally important and had saved him on a number of occasions. Spies needed to be able to get as much rest as possible whenever they had the chance. They also needed to awaken in an instant and be ready for action. The only person he had seen whose instincts were as good as his was Sarah Walker … er, Bartowski. Gertrude was probably on the same level but he had not experienced the need with her as yet.

He lay there reviewing the past year. He had been working with with _Carmichael Industries_ and things were really looking up. He had also connected with his former fiance and, more importantly, Alex. He still wasn't completely happy with her relationship with the moron, but she seemed happy, which was what was important. _Heaven help Grimes if he ever hurts her!_ He had also reconnected with a former adversary and lover: Gertrude Verbanski.

Then disaster struck when, first Chuck was kidnapped, then Sarah had to download the Intersect to save the two of them. Last, but not least, she was kidnapped by Quinn who destroyed her memories, or at least suppressed them. Once Sarah returned and they had defeated and killed Quinn, it was obvious the healing for her … actually for both Chuck and Sarah … would take some time, and would include putting _CI_ on the back burner. It was time for him to move on because he still craved the action. But he didn't want to work for the NSA or CIA without his two partners, Walker and Bartowski.

Gertrude had been very open about wanting to pursue both a professional and personal relationship. He would never have considered such a thing a few short years ago, but the amazing connection with the extended Bartowski family had brought out emotions he thought were long dead. He would never admit it to Chuck or Sarah but he envied the love they shared. No one was happier than he when they finally admitted their feelings for each other and became a couple. Their wedding was the first he had attended in over 20 years and he felt a happiness that was unknown to him; and it shook him to his very core. He told Walker they had both gone soft over the five years they were partners, but in reality, he was pleased to have friends, family and a sense of belonging.

When he left to seek out Gertie he was hoping to maybe have something close to that connection. Now that they were together, he felt a sense of relaxation he had not known since becoming John Casey, NSA agent.

Gertie began to stir and moved over to snuggle with Casey. She looked up at him and smiled, "Hey, Casey. Been awake long?"

"A while." After a long pause he continued, "Just trying to sort out some things and wrap my head around this situation."

"Come up with anything?"

"Ungh. No."

"Well, I'm hungry so let's see if they are going to feed us tonight."

They both got up and headed for the front door. Their guards were still there but did not act aggressively at the sight of them. "You boys know how to get some food around here?" Verbanski was trying to keep her voice light and non-aggressive; a challenge for her sometimes.

"Why don't you join us in the other cabin. We're just about ready to eat, too." Mr. C had driven up in a new SUV, with a second one right behind it, just prior to their appearance at the door, and had heard their request.

He led them across the compound and into the cabin. The table was still set up the same as before. As they entered, the same young girl was just finishing setting the table and laying out the food. She looked at Verbanski and smiled briefly before leaving quickly, before any of the men could say anything to her.

"Our guests were asking about food so I invited them to join us. Anyone mind?"

"No" ... "of course not" … "please, sit with us," were the comments that came from the others.

Except for the guards outside their cabin, they were now being treated like comrades. This change in their status was rather disconcerting and Casey just kept shaking his head and mumbling something about "damned, crazy pirate bastards." Verbanski kept trying to put herself in their captors' place in order to figure out their angle, but nothing made any sense.

Once everyone had taken their food and were starting to eat, Mr. A looked at both Casey and Verbanski and said, "This is a good opportunity to let you know a few more details of our upcoming trip.

"It will be another arduous trip but we have the two SUV's you just saw to make the trip more comfortable. We have about three hours on these dirt roads before coming to the one major highway in the country. It is not a bad road … paved and pretty well maintained … but it is about five more hours to our destination. We will have hotel accommodations there until the meeting is finalized. It should be a couple of days at most. Then we will fly to Cairo. Once there, the meet should happen quite soon. If the sale is agreed upon you will be taken to inspect the merchandise and make your recommendation to us."

"And you still can not tell us what we will be inspecting?"

"No, I'm afraid I can not."

The meal was finished in silence and as soon as they finished eating Gertrude and John stood up to leave. Mr. D said to them, "There will be a full moon this evening. It is quite spectacular out here, where no lights interfere. I recommend you sit outside your back door if you are interested. Just remember, you will be watched."

"Thank you, Mr. D. We may very well take you up on that suggestion." Verbanski smiled at him and then exited, taking Casey's arm as they walked slowly across the compound to their own cabin.

_This has got to be the weirdest kidnapping of all time._

**Scene 36. January 27, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

Sarah and Chuck were on the road by mid-afternoon. They had been told it would take three hours to reach the site of the wreckage but that would still give them enough daylight to do an initial inspection. Their guides also told them they would have to set up tents and stay at the site overnight. Chuck was having some stiffness in his left arm and leg from all the cramped traveling, and was not thrilled to think about sleeping on the ground. Sarah, however, promised him a good rubdown, reminding him they had inflatable mattresses to relax on. Any time he could get a rubdown from her was a good time!

When they arrived on the scene they could see army troops there as well. They had been sent to keep the site as intact as possible. It didn't take long for scavengers, both human and animal, to pretty much clean out a site like this. But, because the bodies had still been there when first discovered, they hoped nothing else had been disturbed either. The bodies had been removed by army medical personnel and taken away for storage until it was determined where they should be sent. Apparently one of the four bodies was not badly burned and had already been identified as Dr. Alverez, a member of the UN team. The other three bodies were so badly burned it would take DNA testing to identify.

The vehicles had to be left until the investigators released them, which, in this country, could be years, if ever. Sarah and Chuck were not sure what they would find, or if it would do any good, but it was a place to start. Ash and soot coated all the twisted metal and melted plastic, which set off Chuck's allergies pretty quickly.

They donned protective overalls and boots and climbed through the wreckage. It was apparent an accelerant had been used as there very little left except the bare metal itself. The VIN numbers on the SUV's were still intact and had already been used to identify them as belonging to _VCorp_.

The army personnel were setting up camp for the newcomers and a meal was prepared, so Chuck and Sarah climbed out of the ravine, cleaned up as well as possible, and sat down with their escorts to eat. There was light conversation, but also a somberness about the site due to the death and destruction.

Chuck finished eating and walked over to the edge of the ravine with a bottle of water. As he stared down, in the waning light, he noticed a piece of canvas caught on a bush about ten meters from the vehicles. He climbed down the gentle slope and pulled the cloth free. Sarah, seeing him descend out of sight ran over to the edge as well. His left leg was not happy about what he was attempting and when she saw him struggling, Sarah quickly moved down the slope and grabbed his arm. Together they finished the climb and then sat on a couple of nearby boulders.

"Chuck, what were you thinking? You could have easily fallen and hurt yourself. Next time call me before doing anything like that."

"Sarah, please don't baby me too much. I already feel inferior to everyone here, without needing help in every little thing I do."

"Chuck, I'm sorry but…."

"Dammit. I didn't mean to snap at you, baby. I just thought it would be an easier climb. Forgive me."

"Nothing to forgive, hon. We just need to help each other. What did you find?"

"Not sure. Help me get this over to the lights."

Several of the soldiers saw them pulling the canvas across the open ground and joined them. It was a piece of canvas about ten feet wide and 25 feet long with jagged edges that had been violently torn. One edge was also singed, so it had been close to the fire at some point. Their escort leader told them it was definitely the cover off the back part of a large truck similar to the one in the ravine. As they turned it over they saw some white lettering and suddenly Chuck shuddered and staggered.

Sarah noticed immediately, grabbed his arm and whispered, "Chuck, what? Did you just flash?"

Chuck stood still, eyes wide, but blinking. Then, with a shake of his head, he looked at Sarah with something that was a cross between a grimace and a smile: "Wh-wh-whoa! Yeah. First time in … what … a year?"

"What is it you saw, honey?" Her voice was full of concern and her eyes were wide with fear.

"I'm okay, Sarah. Relax. Just caught me off guard." After a reassuring smile for his worried wife, and a drink of water, he continued: "You know," he said with an even bigger smile, "the only constant in the universe is the bureaucratic mentality (with apologies to Dr. McCoy)."

"That's a _Star Trek_ quote."

"Hey, hey, Sarah. You remembered that!"

"Um ... yeah ... but what does it mean?"

"Where do you get a vehicle if you are in the army? At the motor pool! That number, on the canvas, is the vehicle ID number. We can find out who signed for it; and from there, who authorized its use. Then it should be easy to trace back to whoever sent the orders to the base. I've already flashed on some of that, and Morgan should be able to track down the rest from _CI_."

"That's great, Chuck. But why did you suddenly flash now, after all this time?"

"It's weird that I haven't flashed in such a long time, but I don't think its anything to worry about, babe. You do remember that when I first got the Intersect, it was pretty disorienting for me, don't you? Getting a lot of new stimuli here, you know."

"I'm sorry, Chuck, but I AM concerned about this. Why aren't you?" Sarah stood up and helped her husband stand. He was really favoring his weaker left leg now, and welcomed the supporting arm of his lovely wife ... on several levels. "We need to call Ellie!"

"Thanks, sweetie. Let's just not make too much of this unless it starts to act weird. And we can't call Ellie … you know she would be on a plane here in an instant." He could tell she was upset but wasn't sure what else he could say to make her feel better. "In the meantime, we need to take advantage of the intel. Let's call Morgan."

One of the soldiers came over to them with a look of concern. Sarah told him that Chuck had just felt lightheaded and twisted his knee on the climb up. She thanked him and hoped he bought her story. They did not want anyone to suspect that Chuck was at all vulnerable.

Once they got back to their tent she went inside and brought back aspirin and water. He gratefully took both. Her biggest concern when they started this mission was that Chuck would hurt himself again; that now seemed to have happened. But that was only one of Sarah's worries now. _Why did he flash here and now and why did it seem to disorient him?_ Sarah rested her hand lightly on his shoulder and stared off at the horizon, worry and doubt filling her mind.


	10. On the Road Again

A/N: Good morning (or whatever time it is where you are)! Here we are again. Such wonderful reviews and other communications. Thanks to everyone. They are all very inspiring.

Can't think of anything creative or humorous to say so I'll just say I don't own anything to do with Chuck and this is offered as a tribute to the wonderful little universe we have been allowed to lose ourselves in.

**X. On the Road Again**

**Scene 37: January 27, 2013  
****Earlier...  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

Casey and Verbanski rolled out of bed just before dawn. Packing was easy: they only had the clothes on their backs', and some simple toiletries given to them when they arrived. A young man in military dress came to the cabin, knocked, and gestured for them to follow. When they walked out the young man was holding the door open to the second black SUV. Once they were inside he closed the door and quickly ran to the driver's door and got in. They were rolling in seconds.

The roads were passable but still bounced them around quite a bit. At least they were leaving the camp and headed to somewhere that, hopefully, would prove to be more comfortable. Casey continued to complain, but it was pretty halfhearted.

Three hours later they came to an actual paved road with a small village surrounding the intersection. They were allowed to get out, walk around, take care of business and eat. Once loaded up again they turned onto this highway heading northeast. It took them a little less than five hours, driving at normal highway speed and one quick stop for a fuel and restroom break, to come upon a fairly good sized city. They tried asking their driver what city it was but he did not answer. They each tried a couple different languages but got no response.

It was amazing how modern this city was which led them to believe they were pretty far off in their estimate of where they might be. The streets were smooth, with light poles for nighttime and a fair amount of traffic. All the buildings along the way appeared to be less than ten years old and several high rises of ten or more stories were visible. They turned onto another thoroughfare and then quickly into a hotel entrance leading to a covered unloading area. The _Corinthia Hotel_ looked to be as nice as either agent had ever seen on their respective trips to Africa. It was an amazing change from the tents and cabins they had been living in since their capture.

Their driver got out, came around the vehicle and opened their door. Once out, he led them inside and straight to the elevator, which took them to the seventh floor. The elevator opened directly into a suite with a huge common room, featuring one full wall of windows overlooking the city to the east. Several rooms to the left and right were probably bedrooms and possibly office space. Both Casey and Gertrude were amazed by the decor, the view, and how their treatment had change in such a short time. Casey was particularly impressed when he found a humidor stocked with Cuban cigars.

He looked in one of the rooms to the right and called Gertrude to come look. She entered to find all their original luggage and equipment trunks there. "John, I'm finding this all a little disorienting. How about you?"

"Ungh! Right with you there, Gert."

"Maybe that's their new ploy: throw us off guard with all this luxury and kindness. If it is, it certainly is working."

"Yep," was all Casey could say.

"John, I'm going to take a long bubble bath … care to join me?"

"Ungh … not a bath man."

"But John ... we can scrub each others' backs and let the tension drain out." Verbanski came up to Casey, holding his eyes with hers. When she got up to him she began pulling his shirt up.

"Didn't think the KGB went in for that kind of girly thing." His mouth was still saying 'no' but his eyes and shallow breathing were definitely starting to say 'yes'.

"That was long before I came to embrace the finer points of western living." Her smile was infectious and now that his shirt was off, she began pulling her's off as well. Casey leaned down, picked her up and walked to the bathroom.

"Guess I should give it try then."

After a long session in the huge tub, Casey and Gertrude came out to the great room, wearing the plush robes provided by the hotel, to find supper waiting for them. Casey's eyes lit up when he caught sight of the ribeye and baked potato and both dug right in, like they had been starved for the past three weeks. Of course, compared to this feast, that was very true. Once they had polished off dinner, ending with coffee and cheesecake, they curled up on the bed and got their first sleep, in a decent bed at least, since leaving the States. They slept straight through until morning.

**Scene 38: January 27, 28, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

Once they contacted Morgan there wasn't much Chuck and Sarah could do but wait. They also contacted General Beckman who was happy to hear their news but was clearly distracted and signed off quickly.

It was well after dark and the fires had burned down. Now, with no other lighting anywhere nearby, the stars were amazingly bright and clear. The moon, nearing full, was just coming over the horizon. It had become quite cool so they sat, huddled together on a large boulder, arms around each other, and Sarah's head on Chuck's shoulder, staring up at the incredible sky.

"I've never done this before; just sit and stare up at the sky and see so many stars. This is amazing, Chuck."

"I know, babe. Living in LA doesn't give us a chance to see the night sky without interference. But you know ... the brightest star is the one sitting right next to me. You are so beautiful Sarah." He couldn't see or feel her blush but knew it was there from the increased pressure of her embrace.

Sarah reached up and gently turned Chuck's face around to hers. "You are very sweet, Chuck. I can see the stars shining in your wonderful, chocolate brown eyes, and I am completely lost in them. I love you so." And she leaned in to gently kiss him.

The kiss deepened and any thoughts about the stars were soon lost. Chuck gently pushed a strand of hair behind her left ear and trailed down her neck. Her hands moved from his cheeks around his neck and gently played with the hair on the back of his neck. They pressed into each other, completely lost in one another. They soon moved into their tent where Chuck had zipped their two sleeping bags together. Sarah quickly removed his shirt as he kissed her forehead, ears and neck. Gasping for breath, she returned the kisses as he ran his hands inside her top and lifted it over her head. They continued to explore each other, their arousals becoming more and more intense, leading them to make love, first frantically, and then again, slowly and gently, to the point of exhaustion, before falling asleep in each others' arms.

**Later….**

"Goodbye, Chuck. I have to go." Chuck could only sit in the sand and watch the love of his life … his only reason for living … walk away. They had argued about what her lost memories meant and she was adamant about going back to the CIA. He begged, pleaded, and sobbed, but her cold, spy heart had taken over … and he knew this was the end. He stood, watching her get into her Lotus. And suddenly he was knocked down as the car exploded. He jumped up and ran towards the now savagely burning vehicle but he couldn't seem to make any headway. In the next moment he was overwhelmed by a flash, seeing the face of the one and only person he truly hated. That coal black, slicked back hair, those deep, dark, emotionless eyes. And the mouth that Chuck so wanted to smash … laughing at him now. He was tied to a table and couldn't move and that face hovered over his, mocking him once again….

With a gasp Chuck's eyes shot open but that face … and that explosion ... was burned into his sight. He tried to sit up but was being held down somehow. In a sudden, claustrophobic panic, he scrambled to somehow get loose … get away.…

He and Sarah were snuggled inside the bags and she was instantly awake as Chuck began thrashing around inside the bags. It appeared to her that he was still asleep, but in a panic, so she quickly unzipped her side and threw the covering off, allowing him to pull himself out. As he stood he grabbed his head and staggered a bit while Sarah, now sobbing as she reacted to his pain, grabbed him with a strong, steady grip.

"Chuck ... Chuck! What is it?" His eyes popped open again and he was looking into … the most beautiful, albeit tear laden, blue eyes he had ever seen. SARAH! She was alive … here with him ... holding him ... but with panic written all over her.

Despite his hammering heartbeat and lingering fear, he pulled her to him and a sense of peace began to wash over him. In a hoarse whisper he told her, "Oh, Sarah. Oh, baby. I am so glad to see you. I … I guess I was having a nightmare … but it was so real … and you were dead … and Sh…."

"Shhhh …. shhhh. Sweetheart, relax. I'm here … this is real … I'm real. Hold on to that ... hold on to me! We will always be together." They stood, tears on both their faces, holding each other until the sun began to break over the horizon.

**Scene 39: January 28, 2013  
****The Present  
**_**Corinthia Hotel,**_** Nbora**

Breakfast came a short time after they awoke. While they ate their talk was casual but wary, as they suspected, the room was bugged. Casey had tried the phones but they were all dead and the elevator would not come, no matter how hard Casey punched the buttons or swore at the doors.

"Doesn't it seem funny they would deliver all our equipment and yet the elevator is disabled and the phones are dead. Don't they know we have enough gear to start a small war?"

"Ungh! First order of business today: check each and every piece so we know it is all operational."

"Agreed. I wonder how long we will be here?" After a short pause: "Damn … this is just weird!"

As soon as breakfast was over they jumped on the task of checking all the equipment. Everything was there except their various communication devices. Surprisingly, all the ammunition was there but with seals on all the packaging. For now, they left those containers intact, figuring it would keep their 'hosts' happy if they didn't have loaded guns right away. Certainly, if they deemed it necessary, those seals wouldn't mean anything anyway. It also indicated they were being watched, even though they had not found any cameras as yet.

It took almost four hours for them to check through all the equipment. They had to completely break down and reassemble all their firearms to make sure they were completely operational. Then they checked all their ropes, D rings, equipment bags, and operational clothing, to make sure they were untampered with, and carrying no bugs or tracking devices. They were just finishing repacking everything when they heard the elevator doors open and footsteps coming into the suite.

Looking out cautiously Casey saw Mr. A and Mr. B looking for them. As he walked out of the side room they saw him and spoke: "Good afternoon, Mr. Casey. We have some news for you both. Oh good, I see that you have checked your equipment. Is everything to your satisfaction?"

The men all stood outside the room as Verbanski came out to join them, saying, "All but our earwigs and other communication equipment. I assume you feel it necessary to keep us from trying to contact anyone on the outside."

"Naturally, Ms. Verbanski. This is still a clandestine operation and we can't afford to have any of your friends trying to rescue you. Once we proceed on the mission you will be given whatever you need for a successful effort. Now, let's sit down so we can give you more information on this mission."

Lunch arrived but the two men only took coffee while Casey and Verbanski began to eat. "We have been contacted by the dealers. They would like to meet sooner than anticipated so we will be leaving this afternoon."

"Where is this meeting to happen?"

"Cairo. We will provide all your transportation and equipment needs. You will have to let us know if there is more you require than what was in your original equipment trunks and bags."

"What materials are you attempting to purchase."

"We can not divulge that information at this time."

"Is it offensive or defensive?"

"Again, I can not..."

Gertrude waved him off from the rest of the answer and stared at him with a withering look. "The nature of the 'materials' could, once again, prove to be a conflict of interest should they be used against one of our clients."

"Assuming this assignment goes well, and you agree to at least some of our other proposals, we would expect you to make us your sole employers. Does that lessen the conflict of interest?"

"No."

"Then are you refusing to complete the task we have asked of you … and for which we are paying you a substantially higher amount than your normal fee?"

"No, I didn't say that. However, in order to adequately prepare, we need to know the route we are taking as well as the mode of transportation, as well as what we will be inspecting. If not, we can not guarantee we can protect you, nor do a proper inspection.

"What do you need to do to adequately prepare?"

"Normally we scout the travel route, visit all the sites in order to determine what obstacles we may encounter, and make contact with the local officials. We will also need all technical information regarding the merchandise. I assume none of that will be possible."

"Not necessarily. We have ground transportation for our entourage. We can assist you in inspecting the site as well as procuring any addition equipment you may require. You will not make contact with the local officials, however; this is not a sanctioned visit or transaction. You will have an escort made up of our men throughout the process."

"I really don't understand why you need us to provide security for you when you feel the need to provide security against us."

"How would you act if you were hiring us, Ms. Verbanski?"

**Scene 40: January 28, 2013  
****The Present  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

"Chuck, honey, we need to get you home and get your leg checked out. Ellie needs to know about this ... about your nightmares and your flashes. I will not risk your life … and our life together … over this mission. Come on, let's go." Sarah was really worried. All these dreams … no, nightmares … were definitely affecting Chuck and his ability to work. But he didn't seem to be taking it seriously and that was upsetting her, too.

"Look ... sweetheart ... we all agree there is nothing more for us to do here. So we can get back to the airport this morning, see what Morgan and/or the General has come up with, and then make a decision of what to do next. Let's not jump to conclusions with this."

"Chuck!" Sarah was practically yelling now and her teeth … those beautiful, white teeth that so electrified her smile … were showing, which Chuck knew was a sign she was ready to go all ninja on something or someone. He hadn't seen it directed towards him in a long time, but he remembered it well: she was fired up and that made her dangerous. "You've hurt your leg again … all these nightmares … and now you are flashing again; we can't ignore all these signs that something is wrong!" As she finished she turned her back to Chuck and crossed her arms tightly across her chest. To Chuck it seemed like she actually shrunk into a much smaller frame.

He walked over to her and started to wrap his arms around her but she shrugged him away. As he caught sight of her profile he could see tears on her cheek again. In his softest voice he said to her, "Sarah, love, please don't cry. I know you are worried; me, too … I really am. But we will get through this … together. I can't do it alone … you know that. Without you I am nothing. Please be strong for me so we can finish this, get back to civilization, and then find out what's happening."

Now Sarah leaned back slightly into Chuck. The ever present current of love flowed between them immediately. After a few moments she slowly turned to face him and this time allowed him to wrap her up in his arms as she tightly gripped his shirt in both fists. They stood together for what seemed eternity, until one of the soldiers walked up to them and quietly waved to Chuck that they were ready to leave. "Let's go, hon. They're ready to leave. We'll be back at the airport before lunch time."

Sarah looked up into the deep brown pools of Chuck's eyes. There was no doubt she was worried and upset: her lips were set firmly in a line, and pulled slightly to the right; the creases between her eyes were showing in all their glory. Their lips touched, ever so briefly, and then quickly gathered up their bags and jumped in the SUV. They sat close, holding hands for the entire trip back to the airport, arriving at 11:30 am.


	11. The Airport

A/N: In case you've forgotten: Casey and Verbanski are still in the middle of the weirdest kidnapping in history. They are presently held in a 4-star hotel and soon headed to Cairo. Chuck and Sarah are in Africa, too and, after some difficulties in the field, are headed back to the airport. Morgan, Alex and Beckman are pulling their hair out trying to keep track of everything. So, things are pretty much normal for our friends.

Thanks to all who have reviewed for the kind comments. It's always fun to discuss the motivations behind everyones' actions.

Still don't own _Chuck_, nor the _Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis__ Hotel. _Enjoy...

**XI. The Airport**

**Scene 41: January 28, 2013  
****The Present  
****Nbora Airport / Cairo, Egypt**

About an hour after leaving, Mr. B returned to their room with three men they did not know. He directed the men to collect all the luggage and weapons' bags, and take them to the parking garage. He then asked Verbanski and Casey to accompany him downstairs. The trip was quick and uneventful and their SUV's were waiting for them at the door. Casey and Gertrude just looked at each other while they traveled through the city streets. They still had no idea what city this was, but then their stay had been very brief and inconsequential.

It took less than an hour to drive to the airport and they were shocked to realize this was Nbora Airport, where they had started the mission several weeks earlier. "My God, Gertie, we've been driven around and around in circles this whole time. This just gets crazier and crazier!"

As they were driven onto the tarmac they passed a couple of black SUV's sitting next to a hangar. Looking out the window Casey thought he saw a familiar sight, dressed in black fatigues, getting out and standing next to the lead vehicle. They drove by quickly, moving towards a small jet waiting at the end of the field. There they were led to the stairs by Mr. C and followed by Mr. B. Casey looked around as they moved up the jet's stairs, and as he started to duck to enter the jet, he purposely turned and looked right at the tall, slim blonde he had spied standing by the black SUV. Once inside he purposely sat on the left side so he could look out towards that same hangar. His grunt alerted Gertie to the fact that he had seen something interesting, but they couldn't talk about it with Mr. B sitting right across the aisle.

As they began to taxi, Gertrude reached over and took Casey's hand, causing him to tense up and grimace. He still was not used to personal contact in public unless it involved fists and cheekbones vying for the same space. He quickly relaxed in her grip, however, and turned his hand so his index finger was in her palm and hidden from sight. Gently he tapped out Morse Code for S - W - C - I - A. Her eyes widen and he nodded out the window towards the hangar. Casey looked at her and breathed, "Five bucks!"

The flight lasted about five hours to Cairo International Airport. Two white SUV's met them this time and they drove about an hour to the five-star _Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis__ Hotel_, arriving a little after 2200 hours. Both agents had spent time in Cairo over the years and now knew exactly where they were. They were surprised, recipients of lodging such an exclusive establishment … certain they had gone from the outhouse to the penthouse.

Unlike James Bond, real agents booked small, inconsequential motels, in out of the way areas of any city in which they were operating: they did not want to call attention to themselves, or even run the chance of being seen in the expensive locales, until time to run their operation. Not to mention the expense of this style of living. Either their 'hosts' were supremely confident or completely inept. Casey and Verbanski were definitely leaning towards the latter, but only time would tell.

**Scene 42: January 28, 2013  
****The Present  
****Nbora Airport**

They made it back to the airport faster than anticipated, but Seth Brownfield still had lunch waiting for them. As they ate, they filled him in on what they had found.

"I am amazed! Weeks have gone by with no intel; you're here a matter of hours and are ready to track the local military back to the source of this kidnapping. You certainly live up to your reputations!"

"Thanks, Seth. We just have a lot of experience and the technical backup to point us in the right direction. I left one of my bags in the SUV so I'm going to run out and get it."

Sarah was standing by the time she finished speaking and turned to walk outside. Seth stared at her for a few moments before remembering that her husband was sitting right next to him. "Oh … uh … sorry, Chuck," he stammered. "Didn't mean to insult you … or her."

"I'm not the jealous type … anymore, Seth ... but I am protective. And don't let that beauty fool you: she's deadly. Don't let her catch you staring or you might end up on the wrong end of a throwing knife." Chuck softened this last comment with a little chuckle but Brownfield couldn't be sure if he meant from Sarah or from him. "And for the record: I've found myself staring at her for hours on end."

Sarah quickly found the bag she had left under the seat. Retrieving it, she was backing out of the vehicle just as two white SUV's drove quickly by and went directly to a small personal jet at the end of the tarmac. With her spy instincts in high gear Sarah stopped and watched four people got out of the SUV's and walked to the jet. As they ascended the steps she evaluated the people: the first was a large man, probably someone's bodyguard; the second was smaller and slim … _ah, a women ... seems familiar_. The third and fourth were more bodyguard types. _No, that wasn't right. Hmmmmmm?_ Just before he entered the door the third person turned and looked right at her. _Casey!_ _Of course! So the woman must be Verbanski. What are they doing here and where are they going now?_

She continued to watch the jet as it's engines spooled up and began taxiing. She wasn't sure, but thought she could see Casey looking out the window, towards her vehicle. Her normal instincts were to hide but she thought it important to stay out in the open so he would see her, too. She obviously couldn't help them here, but now she knew they were alive, and in a jet that could be tracked. Once the jet began it's rollout she ran back into the hangar, feeling better than she had since they disappeared, weeks ago.

"Chuck … Seth! Hey, you're not going to believe this! Let's go into the safe room … come on you two, hurry."

"Okay, okay. Sarah, what's the big deal?"

Once locked in the room Sarah turned to them both and said, with her eyes showing excitement and fire, "I just saw Casey and Verbanski get in a jet outside!"

"WHAT!" They both yelled the same thing at the same time.

"I was getting out of the SUV when two vehicles drove by, going to the jet at the end of the runway. Four people got out and boarded. As they were entering Casey turned and looked right at me. I didn't recognize Verbanski at first and didn't see her face but, from the body size of the second person, it had to be her."

As she was saying this Chuck turned and started working feverishly at one of the computers. A picture of the airport came up on the big monitor just in time to see the jet lifting off. He zoomed in and followed the tail, trying to see the designation numbers. _DCL955_ was the only lettering to be seen. Chuck quickly flashed, blinked several times, and smiled.

"Did you flash, Chuck?"

"Y-y-yeah. That jet belongs to _Conglomérat Delta_, a French weapons manufacturer who, it's been rumored, has been supplying the Somali pirates with arms."

"Are you okay? Sweetie, talk to me…." She was gently holding his cheeks and looking deeply into his eyes. Normally there would be sparks flying between them, but right now there was only fear, mixed with that strong-willed determination to get on with the job.

"I'm okay, hon. It was faster than I remember. We've got to call Beckman and get her tracing this flight. Hey, Seth, can you call the local controllers and see what flight plan was filed for that jet?"

As soon as he heard_ Conglomérat Delta _Seth had grabbed a phone and was already speaking to someone. "Okay, thank you. The pilot filed a plan from here to Paris. But the controller said that's funny because that jet doesn't have the fuel capacity to fly that far. They are headed somewhere else!"

Just as he finished saying that, machine gun fire ripped into the wall and door. They all hit the floor. Sarah's gun was already out and Chuck was scrambling under the desk to pull his tranq gun out of the bag he had thrown down upon entering. Another round of gun fire shredded the door as Seth, grunting loudly, rolled to the front wall, to the right of what was left of the door and frame.

Sarah and Chuck flipped the table in the center of the room to form a shield, but both knew it wouldn't stand up to too much gun fire. They both looked at each other and knew instantly what they needed to do: find, or create, another exit. Seth, meanwhile, had taken a few shots out the door but it was hard to tell if he hit anyone.

**Scene 43: January 28, 29, 2013  
****The Present  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo**

Even though it was quite late, supper was delivered to their room shortly after their arrival. It was simple, with cold fruit and veggies, but quite delicious and they both dove in; it had been over eight hours since they last ate. They were just finishing up and enjoying an after dinner cigar and wine, when the room service waiter entered to retrieve the table and dishes. Before rolling it out he handed Verbanski an envelope, bowed slightly and left quickly.

"You know, that waiter showed up a little too soon after we finished eating. I'll bet we are under surveillance, probably visual and audio."

"I'm sure you're right, John. Let's see what this is." Gertrude tore the envelope open and took out a single sheet of paper. She read it aloud:

"_Ms. Verbanski, Mr. Casey: We hope the room is to your satisfaction. All your equipment, minus communication devices, is in the second bedroom. Tomorrow morning we will have technical manuals for the items we are purchasing. Please study them thoroughly. In this packet you will find a standard _Verbanski Corp_ Contract. We have taken the liberty of filling it out, with the retainer for escort and protection services, plus three week's services for the the time you have been with us, as per our discussion at the camp. If this is satisfactory please sign the Contract for pick in the morning. Enjoy your evening and good night. Signed, Mr. A."_

"I can't wait to see how you bill this, Gertie."

Verbanski was stunned, looking at the Contract, but finally returned Casey's smile and sighed. "This is too unreal to even define. On one hand we are kidnap victims, but on the other, we now have a Contract here that pays us for the time we were captives."

Casey got up and walked to the door they had not opened as yet and looking inside. Sure enough, there were all their trunks and bags of equipment. "Do you think we need to inspect everything again?"

"Check the tells we put on the zippers and bindings. If they are undisturbed, I think we are okay."

"They all look intact. But I'll still go through everything again. I'm not trusting these … uh … people … nearly as far as I can throw them."

Gertrude walked over to Casey as he was talking and took his hand in hers. "Can I interest you in a shower ... Colonel?"

"Most definitely … Comrade!" And they walked together to the large, ornate bathroom laughing lightly.

It seemed, to both Gertrude and Casey, that as soon as they laid their heads on the pillows they were awakening with sunlight streaming through the window. They both slept soundly but were a little disoriented that it could be morning already.

Once dressed they wandered out to the sitting room and found both breakfast, and a stack of service manuals about a foot tall. "Well, our hosts have been busy while we slept."

"Ungh. I don't think I like it when they visit us while we are sleeping. We need to start setting some watches and have a weapon or two at the ready."

"John, you know they just heard everything you said."

"Yeah? Well, let them listen. I don't care anymore." Verbanski was sure he was hoping to get a rise out of them but he really was taking a pretty big chance in talking about weapons. "So what do we have here?"

Looking through the manuals Gertrude was amazed with the level of sophisticated weapons included. "They could start a fairly big war if they purchase all these in any significant quantities." She paused briefly with one of the manuals and Casey looked up in alarm when there was a sharp intake of air from his partner. She whispered, hoping any microphones would not pick her up: "Oh, no. John, look at this … ship-to-ship missiles!" Casey had moved to look over her shoulder as she continued whispering to him: "Pirates with ship-to-ship missiles is definitely not a good idea!"

Casey whispered back, "Damn! How can we be a part of this, Gertie?"

"And how do we get word out to our colleagues?_"_

**Scene 44: January 28, 2013  
****Earlier….  
****Nbora Airport**

They were pinned down and outgunned. Firing had stopped for the moment but any movement on their part would draw additional fire. Now it was just a matter of how long whoever was outside would wait before charging the door. In the quiet, Sarah thought she heard a moan. "Seth, you okay?"

After a pause and some heavy breathing he finally replied, "Nah. Caught … most of the … shrapnel from … the door … my legs … bleeding a lot." All this was said with gasps and grimaces. Seth was badly injured and in great pain.

"Just hold on … I'll get you."

"No, Sarah, no! You and Chuck have to get out … leave me ... I can cover you."

"Seth, we don't leave people behind … learned that from a great Marine." Then in a whisper, "Sarah, I've got a laser cutter in my bag here; _can (will)_ cut an opening in the back wall. Can you get the thermite bombs onto all the computers?"

"On it, Chuck. Just stay behind the table or you're a sitting duck!"

Chuck quickly began cutting a hole in the back wall as Sarah crawled over to the racks of computers towing the bag of thermite bombs, packed for just this possibility. All their equipment had to be completely destroyed and this was the one sure way to do so. It also meant they had to be out of the building when the bombs went off. An attack from outside could come at any moment so they worked as quickly as possible. As she worked Sarah tried to devise a plan to get over to Seth in order to pull him to safety. It would be dangerous … maybe even suicidal … but she couldn't leave a fellow agent to these barbarians.

"Okay, Sarah, I've got the hole cut and we can get outside. We've got to move now."

"I have the detonator with me. Seth, let's go!"

"No, you two get outside!" And with that Seth rolled into the doorway, threw a flash bang grenade and began shooting wildly into the hangar. It was only a matter of seconds before return fire put an end to his attack.

Chuck's eyes grew wide as he heard Seth begin his attack and Sarah screamed his name, but they both knew they had to move while his diversion was working. They would mourn his loss later. Chuck grabbed Sarah and shoved her through the opening and then dove through as well. As soon as they were both out and standing they moved quickly to the right, along the back wall of the hangar.

"As soon as we reach the corner I will detonate the bombs. Then we sprint to the rear SUV. I will get in the driver's seat and you get in the middle seat."

"Sarah, I don't know…."

"Stow it, Chuck. Remember, you agreed to do exactly what I tell you to do. Trust me! Now, GO!"

The thermite bombs detonated and instantly turned the little room into an inferno. Flames and molten metal screamed outward, cutting easily through the interior plywood walls and up into the ceiling. It only took a few moments for the hangar to turn into a fiery death trap for all those still inside, as fuel tanks and other flammables added to the devastation.

Sarah was already in the SUV and revving the engine. Chuck was behind, limping as he tried to run, but finally made it and jumped into the middle seat. As she was flooring the pedal and careening out onto the tarmac Sarah called back to him, "Get into the righthand seat, pull down on the panel in the seat in front of you and push the red button!"

Gun fire was rattling off their vehicle but this was a CIA/Secret Service vehicle, designed to withstand just about any kind of attack. Several vehicles were beginning to pursue but Sarah had a pretty big lead already, and lots more horsepower. As soon as he pushed the red button Chuck heard several sets of gears go into action. He couldn't tell what was happening on the roof of the SUV but in front of him a console was rising up in front of him. It had a computer monitor and a joystick. "Sarah, what is this?"

"We've got a mini gun turret on the roof. You are the gunner. I'm going to swing us around and you need to take out anyone pursuing us!"

"Uh … Sarah … why do you have the windshield wipers running?"

"'Cause you're going to be firing over 4,000 rounds a minute and without the wipers I couldn't see out through all the shells."

"Wow! Okay, honey, let's make their day! And may I take this moment to say … you look absolutely beautiful. Action definitely suits you because you are absolutely glowing right now … and I've missed seeing that!"

While smiling and blushing from Chuck's sweet words, Sarah jerked the wheel to the left and added just the right amount of brakes to get the SUV to do a 180. She swore softly as it swerved around like a slug; she was definitely pushing the envelope for what this vehicle was built to do. But it stabilized quickly and she slammed it into reverse, continuing down the runway in the same direction … only backwards!

Chuck had the monitor up and running and put on the sighting glasses. As the targeting information came up he flashed on this weapon and its software. With amazing speed and accuracy he aimed and fired at, first the jeep on the left and then the one on the right: in seconds, both disintegrated into fragments. Two more cars were pursuing but veered away when they saw the jeeps explode.

Even though she was totally focused on driving backwards at high speed, Sarah was also experiencing some distant visions of her doing this exact same thing, but in a small red and white car … _oh, a Nerd Herder!_ … and Chuck was right beside her, completely freaking out, his long, curly hair looking so adorable. She would have to sort out some of the details but knew it was from their first adventure together. She smiled even though they were careening towards the end of the runway. Chuck looked at her quizzically but didn't have time to ask her what she was smiling about. He would have to remember to ask later, when things calmed down.

"Hang on Chuck!" Sarah slammed on the brakes as she yelled to her partner. The SUV screamed to a halt with both of them pinned back into their seats. She slammed the gear shift into drive and smashed the gas pedal to the floor. The engine roared as they gradually gained speed while she slammed her fist on the steering wheel and yelled, "Come on, you piece of garbage; MOVE!"

She headed directly for the pursuit car on their left. It tried to turn and run but Chuck sliced and diced it. The other car was already running away from them but Sarah was not to be denied. Now that it was moving at full speed, the SUV, despite its weight and unwieldiness, quickly allowed her to catch up. As they approached Chuck again cranked up the mini gun and turned the car into a pile of tumbling, twisted sheet metal and plastic.

"Stay alert, Chuck. Let's see if there is anyone else left out here." She slowed to merely a breakneck speed and drove towards the hangar, which was pretty much burned to the ground already. No one else ventured out of any of the buildings so she got on the radio and called the tower. "Nbora Tower … sorry about the mess. We're leaving now. Do not try to follow us or you will get the same treatment."

A very shaky voice answered back: "This is Nbora Tower … please leave us in peace."


	12. Spy Code?

A/N: Well, you can tell how long ago I originally wrote this chapter by the reference to Morgan eating Ding Dongs. I could have dropped it, or changed it, but decided to leave it in as an homage to a favorite dessert. And it was something my wife and I had when we first started to date. But I digress...

The dialogue with the dashes connecting the words indicates words strung together very rapidly. I tried writing it as one giant word but it was just too hard to read. Italics are characters thoughts. Be sure to watch the timeline.

Thanks to one and all for reading and all the wonderful reviews and conversation. Still no ownership but this is all done with respect and love for one terrific tv show, and all the other amazing fanfiction writers that so inspire.

**XII. Spy Code?**

**Scene 45: January 28, 2013  
****The day before  
****Washington, CD / **_**Carmichael Industries**_

"Are you telling me that, not only are Verbanski and Casey STILL missing, but the agents I sent to find them are now missing also?" General Beckman was practically reaching through the monitor to throttle Morgan.

"Well … now … Gener…."

"Mr. Grimes, NOW! I need intel. Spit. It. Out!"

"General … please … I'm trying. Yes, the Casey/Verbanski mission is still missing. Chuck and Sarah have been out of communication for some time. Howev…."

"So what are you doing about it?" More yelling!

"However, General." Morgan tried to be firm and assertive but then, it was the General and he was still Morgan so he quickly added: "I-do-know-where-Chuck-and-Sarah-are."

There was another pause while the General stared at him. Then: "Well…."

"When we were building _CI,_ just in case, I also took the liberty to…."

"Grimes!" General Beckman's growl would have done Casey proud, Morgan thought.

"I'm telling you … I'm telling you! When Sarah started going out with _Verbanski Corp_ I 'borrowed' all of their mission clothes and equipped them with hidden GPS sensors. As long as they have their clothes on I know where they are." As he said this and Beckman's face changed he realized what it sounded like. "Er … uh … as long as they are wearing mission clothing and haven't changed into civilian clothes…."

With a sigh Beckman stopped him yet again, "I get the point, Mr. Grimes. So … where are they?"

"They have left the Nbora Airport and are traveling north. Why and how, I have no idea. They haven't contacted me so I have to assume they have lost their comm links or someone is preventing them from doing so."

"Contact them, Grimes. I don't care how you do it but you get in touch and find out what is going on. Do it NOW!" And she quickly broke the connection. _Wow! Like she thinks I'm going to just let them wander around Africa. Hah!_

**Scene 46: January 29, 2013  
****Present  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo**

Casey and Gertrude had been pouring through the manuals for several hours. They were already familiar with several of the weapons and did not need to study those. But two rocket launchers were brand new, state-of-the-art, as well as the STS missiles. Casey took the former, Gertrude the latter, and they dug in to see what was new … and how they could sabotage them.

Gertrude stood up and stretched. "John, how can you sit there this long and not get stiff and cramped?"

"Sniper training. Have to be able to stay completely still, despite any distractions, and be ready to do your job the instant the target comes into view. But … if it will make you feel any better … it's getting harder and harder as I get older. Noticed it a couple years ago training with Walker … she always kicked my butt, and it took longer to recover, too."

"You really like her don't you?"

"Yeah. Thought she was the enemy when we first met; were on the opposite sides with the Intersect then. But after working together, saving, first the moron, then each other, she earned my respect and then friendship. Damned Bartowski … and Walker, too … turned me into a softy … too many lady feelings. How in the world did he turn her from a kickass spy into a women with so much love?" He said it with a growl but Verbanski knew it was with as much affection as Casey was able to muster. And funny … Casey was doing the same thing to her.

Chuckling, she said back to him: "Yeah, you big old softy. I noticed just how soft when you broke that guard's face back in the camp! Do you think she saw you back at the airport?"

"No doubt in my mind. She would never have stepped out in the open like that. It was a message; just wish we'd had a way to let her know where we were headed."

"Bet Chuck figured a way to track us and they are following us as we speak."

"Sure you want to bet me anymore?"

"Yep. I'm going to get my five bucks back, mister." She looked at him with a wry smile, before leaning forward once again, and picking up the STS missile manual. "Anyway, back to the job: you finding anything to work with there?"

"Not much. I think we can swipe the firing pins on some and jimmy the targeting sensors on the others. Bartowski showed me once, how easy it is with all these new electronics. Credited some guy named Scotty for saying: 'The more they over think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain'. Don't know who this Scotty is but he's right on the money."

Verbanski just laughed out loud, "Oh Casey, even I know that's a _Star Trek_ quote! How did you ever survive the 80's and 90's?"

"Ungh! Easy … chasing spies like you!"

"Ouch. Guess I had that coming. You know, it's really hard making fun of you. So ... seriously ... I haven't found anything we can do with the missiles without complete privacy and several hours to work on them. I think we are up the creek on this one, Casey."

"Let's get some lunch sent up and then we can get back on it. Maybe we need to work on it together now, so if you missed something, maybe I'll spot it, or vice versa."

"Works for me."

**Scene ****47: January 28, 2013  
****The day before  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

Sarah swung around and floored it again, heading towards the main gate. She didn't bother to slow down at all: just blasted through the gates, bounced over the exterior curb, and roared out onto the highway. She didn't know where they were headed as yet, but knew she wanted to be working her way north.

"I swear, Chuck, this thing handles worse than a tank! As soon as we get home I'm taking the Lotus out on a run up the coast 'til I get a ticket from every cop in California. Then I'm trading it in on a new Porsche. I need something that handles like it knows what I want before I do."

Laughing, Chuck answered, "That's great, hon. I knew you couldn't hold out much longer with the Lotus."

"You did?"

"Of course. I can read you like a book. But then you know that."

"Yeah, I guess I do. Oh oh: Chuck we've got company up ahead. Do we still have ammo for the mini gun?"

"Oh yeah. Bring 'em on!"

As it turned out, it was just an old pickup truck with a battered old machine gun mounted in the bed, and as soon as the driver saw the SUV bearing down on him, he quickly made a ninety degree turn to the right and fled across the open field. Chuck and Sarah just laughed.

"Chuck, why don't you come up front with me; I think we're safe now." Chuck stowed the mini gun and firing controls, then worked his way up to the front and belted in. "Hey, sweetheart, back there, when you were driving backwards you got one of those electric smiles that I love so much. What were you thinking about?"

Laughing, Sarah replied, "I suddenly saw us on our first, first date. I was driving the Nerd Herder backwards while you totally freaked out. But who was chasing us?"

"Would you believe, Casey? He was trying to kill me, and you still weren't sure what to do with me."

"That's right! I had remembered us going out and dancing but not the car chase. You were so cute back then, with your long, messy hair that Ellie called animal shapes, and being so overwhelmed by everything. Then you disappeared and I found you at our beach."

Chuck smiled his best Bartowski smile at her and took her hand in both of his. "OUR beach … I like that."

After a few moments of silence Sarah put her spy face back on and said softly, "I feel really bad about Seth. I should have saved him." Tears brimmed up in her eyes.

Chuck looked over at his beautiful wife and could see the sparkling of the tears in her eyes. "You are so wonderful," he said gently and moved his left hand to her shoulder. "There wasn't anything you could have done except get killed yourself. When he moved into the doorway I could see that his legs were pretty much gone. You know, yesterday, while we were setting up, we took a break, and he showed me a picture of his two kids. He was so excited about getting home to a desk job so he could be with them."

"That's why we have to get out of this business, Chuck. I can not lose you ever again, and we can not do that to our kids."

"Our … whoa, whoa … _our_ kids, Sarah? Do you know something I don't?"

"No, no, no!" She replied, laughing. "But I really want to have kids with you. I remember that from before and feel even stronger about it now."

Chuck leaned over, moved Sarah's hair back over her ear in a sweet caress, and kissed her gently on the cheek. "I love you, Sarah ... so very, very much."

"I love you, too, Chu…."

She was interrupted as Chuck's phone rang. "What the he…? It's Morgan! What's he doing calling on an unsecured cell while we're on a mission?"

**Scene 48: January 28, 2013  
****Earlier** **the day before  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

As the General broke the connection Morgan sat, staring at the monitor. _Where do I start? I've got their GPS location, but are they alone? Or with Casey and Verbanski? Or hostages? Just don't know._

He decided to hack into the Nbora Airport security first. He wasn't very good at this kind of thing … Chuck was the expert … and it took over an hour to get through. Fortunately, their firewalls were pretty simplistic or he would never have made it. As he scrolled through the video he didn't see much, and was just about to stop, when he saw an explosion in a hangar at the far end of the field. Running the video backwards he saw, first two white SUV's roll past and then two black SUV's. He had to find a way to get a closer look.

The time difference between Burbank and east central Africa was killing him, but he knew he had to keep working. Fortunately, Alex arrived just then, with pizza. "Hi, lover," she purred as she waved the pizza box around his head and ran her free hand through his hair.

"Hey, Alex. Oh, man, the things you do to me!" He shivered, then stood up to pull her in for a kiss, but didn't let her deepen it. "I'm sorry, honey, but I'm on the trail of Chuck and Sarah and have to keep working. I promise to come home just as soon as we find and rescue them."

"Rescue them? Morgan, are they in danger, too?"

"Don't know yet; that's why I have to keep working. Do you mind setting out the pizza and getting me some grape soda?"

"You sit right down there and find them! I'll take care of everything else."

It took three slices of pizza, a couple of _Ding-Dongs_ and two grape sodas before Morgan found the camera angle and controls he needed. Before jumping back in, he set up a second monitor, to his left, so Alex could watch, too.

"Okay, here comes the black SUV's up to the hangar. Now if I can zoom in … whoa … too much." The picture zoomed in so all he could see was the back tire of the lead SUV. He zoomed in and out several times until he finally got the feel of the trackball.

Alex was almost dizzy and had to look away. "Let me know when you get it Morgan or I'm going to be seasick."

"There … there, look! That is definitely Sarah and … yep, here comes Chuck. I'd know those two anywhere … no one looks as cute as they do when they're holding hands!"

"Yeaaahhhhhhh … but I think we're pretty cute, too, Morgan." Alex ran her hand up and down his arm.

"Oh, Alex, we are; but I never get to watch us." Then, hitting his forehead with his palm, he said quietly, to himself: "Focus, Morgan, focus!"

"Now, let me zoom this forward until we see something … here it comes … hmmmm. Okay, that's Sarah coming back out to the SUV's and … yep, here comes the white ones. Hey, look at Sarah: she's watching them, too, and now she steps right out in the open … now that's weird … she wouldn't put herself out there like that on a mission. Let's see if I can follow those other SUV's. Okay, okay, yep, there we go. Hmmmmmmm … look, look, LOOK!" Morgan was jumping up and down while Alex was staring at him like he was a madman. "Did you see it, Alex, did you see it?"

"Sorry, Morgan, you scared me so I missed it. What did you see?"

"Watch." Morgan ran it back again and then slowed it down. "See … they drive out to that other jet … wait for it … now four people get out ... walk up the steps and … right here…."

Morgan punched the Pause button and as the video stopped Alex' mouth fell open, her hands coming up to her mouth. Her mouth was moving but nothing came out, while tears were suddenly gushing from her eyes. Morgan grabbed her and kissed her and held her. "Yesssssss! That's Casey, honey! He's alive! And that was Verbanski right in front of him!"

It was several moments before either could compose themselves enough to speak, or even move. They stood there, holding each other, long enough that the video feed began to run again on it's own. All of a sudden there was a tremendous flash of light and when Morgan looked at the monitor all he saw was a huge fireball.

"Oh my God, OH MY GOD. No, no, NO!" In his panic he forgot that he already knew Chuck and Sarah had left the airport some time ago and his thoughts went immediately to the fear that they were caught in that fire. He let go of Alex with a sob, sat down, and began to work on the video to run it back to the hangar. Alex was behind him, this time with her hands on his shoulders, trying to calm them both from the fear that was gripping them. With shaking fingers he finally got the video back to the hangar and saw that it was burning fiercely. Moving into rewind it was eerie to watch the flames pull back into themselves and people running backwards. When he got back to Sarah beside the SUV he put it back into forward. Shortly after she reentered the hangar about twenty heavily armed soldiers entered. Nothing seemed to happen for some time until suddenly the right, rear corner of the hangar exploded in flames. Morgan and Alex once again jumped at the sight.

"Wait, wait, wait! I know they're alright … I have the GPS signal showing them at least twenty miles north. Relax, Alex, I know they get out of this." They kept watching and, sure enough, they saw the second black SUV careen out from the side of the hangar and speed down the runway. Then they saw several other vehicles take off in pursuit.

Suddenly the SUV swung completely around without losing it's heading and was now backing down the runway. "Okay, that's Sarah driving … no doubt about that. No one drives like her! Wait, look at that!" He was pointing as the top of the van opened and a gun turret emerged. Suddenly the gun began firing and, once again, both Morgan's and Alex' mouths dropped open from the incredible firepower they were witnessing. One of the following jeeps just disintegrated, quickly followed by the second. "Wow," was all either could say!

They watched the rest of Sarah's maneuvers and Chuck's marksmanship until the SUV slammed through the main gate and out onto the road, disappearing in the distance. Morgan and Alex just looked at each other and shook their heads. Then they started to grin, then chuckle, and finally outright laughing. "What a show! That was better than any car chase on TV. We need to turn that into a promo video for _CI_!"

**Scene 49: January 28, 2013  
****The day before  
****Swinbitia, Africa**

"Hello? Morgan? Is that you?"

With slurred speech, Morgan answered, "Hey, Chuuuuck! Whaaaacha doin'?"

"Morgan, you know you shouldn't be calling me now." Chuck turned on the speaker so Sarah could hear him, too.

"I knowwww … buuuuut, I've had a re- re- reacshun … to meds … aaaaand can't drive."

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other with quizzical looks on their faces. Suddenly Chuck's face changed into a grin and he knew what was happening. "So, buddy, why are you taking meds? Been on them awhile, have you?"

"Oooooh you knowwww … juuuus' a while … I've got that toothhhh EXTRACTION today ... need to beeeee there-ere-ere … in 20 minutes."

"Uh, okay, little buddy. I think I can be ready by then. Will anyone else be coming?"

"Yooooou jus' keep doin' whatcher doin' and weeee'll be ready for you. There sh- sh- ould be … uh … twoooo of us."

"Okay, Morgan. We'll see you in 20."

"You're theeeee besht Chuuuuuuck. Bye."

Sarah looked on, both puzzled and amazed: "Chuck, what in the world was that?"

"That, my dear super spy girl, was the Chuck and Morgan high school spy code." Still seeing the confusion on her lovely face, Chuck continued, "When Morgan wanted, or needed, to ditch school he would call me with some story about having a bad reaction to some medicine and that I needed to drive him to the doctor. He knows we can't talk on an unsecured connection, thus the code. We should keep driving for 20 minutes and then stop. The 'two of us' he referred to means two vehicles of some sort will be coming to pick us up, thus the 'extraction'."

"You got all that from that conversation? Wait 'til I tell Casey about this … he's going to freak out. That's as sophisticated as some of the CIA codes and conversations I've had over the years. You two are amazing!" After a pause, Sarah quietly asked, "Uh, honey … should I have remembered that?"

Chuck leaned over and kissed her cheek again and then caressed it with the back of his fingers, "No, Sarah, I've never told you about that. In fact, I'd forgotten it myself until just now. Relax, baby, just another part of _my_ mysterious past." Sarah glanced over at her handsome husband and grinned, once again … and as always … setting his heart to fluttering.

"I wonder how in the world he found us?"

"A couple weeks ago I noticed my go bag was missing. I checked the security vids and discovered Morgan had taken it. Before I had a chance to ask him about it, the bag reappeared, so I checked the gear and found teeny little GPS tags sewn into every piece of clothing. I checked in your bag and the same tags were there, too. Our little buddy is determined not to lose track of either of us ever again!"

They both laughed as they raced down the highway, hand in hand, and exchanging glances as often as possible.

"Hey, Chuck. Did you flash before you started the mini gun?"

"Sure did. And it was fast and smooth … no headache … no adjustment period. This one really felt good. But I agree with you, we still need to have Ellie take a look under the hood just to double check what's going on."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that. I don't want to fight about this … or anything else, for that matter."

"With you on that, sweetie."

They drove on in silence until Chuck said, "Okay, we've gone about 20 minutes so let's start looking for a good place to pull over. Why don't you slow down in case whoever is coming is already here."

Just ahead, on the left, was a copse of shrubs so Sarah pulled into the center of this break in the otherwise bleak landscape.

They were only there a couple of minute when they began to hear the familiar sound of helicopters. Sure enough, over the horizon, to the west, came two, all black, choppers: the lead one was a UH-1H Huey and the other a CH-47D Chinook. They circled once and then came down to land on the highway.

Once down the copilot of the Huey flashed a signal, to which Sarah, using the mirror on the SUV, signaled back. "That's our ride, Chuck. Let's go." They jumped out of the SUV and ran to the helicopter as the side door opened so they could jump in.

At the same time the rear ramp of the Chinook was lowering and two men, dressed all in black, jumped down and ran to the SUV. As they buckled in, they watched the two men drive the SUV over to the Chinook and up the ramp. The pilot was lifting off before the ramp was even closed.

Both choppers were on the ground less than two minutes. As they lifted off the copilot motioned for them to put on the headsets. Once on, he said to them, "Welcome aboard; compliments of General Beckman. "

"Thanks, Captain," Sarah replied. "Where are we headed?"

"There's a small base near the Kenyan border where we can land. The General will have a jet waiting there to take you to Cairo."

"Cairo? Why does she want us there?"

"That I can not answer, Agent Carmichael. I'm surprised they told me that much."

Understood, Captain. Anyway, thanks again for the lift."

"Our pleasure. Sit back and enjoy the ride. It's not a long ride but it's going to be a beautiful sunset."

Chuck put his arm around Sarah's shoulders and she snuggled into him as well as she could, despite their safety harnesses. The pilot was right about the sunset but they both missed it as they were completely wrapped up in one another. They even dozed briefly until the slight thump of the landing woke them.

A crew member was standing by to pick them up and whisk them off to a nearby jet. They weren't on the ground more than ten minutes before the jet engines were screaming and they were airborne, back in the luxury of a government jet, normally used by the top brass of the military. Once the seatbelt light was off so were the seat belts and the two lovers were in each others' arms, Sarah sitting in Chuck's lap, both happily asleep. They wouldn't awaken until just before landing at Cairo International Airport.


	13. Mornings

A/N: Sorry I'm getting this out so late tonight. It's been a long week today.

The timeline is still bouncing around a bit. Italics are characters' thoughts.

Thank you, one and all, who are reading this little tale, and sharing your thoughts and comments with me. You are all an inspiration to keep trying.

This is done with respect and reverence for these wonderful characters and their creators.

**XIII. Mornings**

**Scene 50: January 28, 29, 2013  
****Midnight  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo**

After a quick journey from the airport to the exclusive _Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis__ Hotel_, Chuck and Sarah were taken directly to the _Pharoah's Suite_ on the top floor, where there was a light meal awaiting them. Neither realized just how hungry they were until they started eating; it became almost a frenzy. They didn't speak for some time; just emitted various moans of culinary delight.

Some time later they sat out on their balcony with a glass of wine, snuggled together for warmth. It was nearing 2:00 am but neither was sleepy after their inflight slumbers. "Chuck, do you remember our conversation in the dining car of the train in France?"

"Sure, baby. Why?"

"So you remember me telling you that I had lots of stamps in my passport but hadn't ever really experienced any of the beauty of the world?"

"Yep."

"This is another one of those moments. I've been here a half dozen times and never ever actually looked at the lights, the buildings, the people. I have you to thank for this. You're showing me the beauty of the world … and of love."

"You were the CIA's best operative; a single-minded machine, programmed to do your job … period. There was nothing wrong with that _per se_ … then. But now you've changed. You want to experience the rest of what life is all about. So let's celebrate that, shall we?

"You're too good for me, my husband." Sarah gently bumped his shoulder with her's, her blue eyes blazing.

"And you are too beautiful for me, my wife. But I'm not letting you go, nor am I going to stand for any more introspection. Once again we've taken on an overwhelming force and beaten them into submission. And now we are alone to celebrate and enjoy each other."

"Mr. Walker … let's go inside where it's warm, and enjoy a long bubble bath."

"You are on, Mrs. Bartowski." Cairo was never brighter, nor as well-lit, as at that moment, when the two lovers looked deeply into each other's eyes and smiled. Walking hand in hand to the bathroom they continued to laugh and enjoy the physical contact.

They spent a long time in the bath, first scrubbing each other and then relaxing. Sarah was settled in, Chuck behind her, his arms gently surrounding her. As they sat there, enjoying the warmth of the water and the intimate contact, Sarah spun Chuck's wedding ring, as he trailed kisses and nibbles along her long and beautiful neck. Once the water began to turn cool and there was no more room to add more, Sarah shivered, "Let's move this party to the bedroom." She didn't have to say it twice to Chuck.

After getting out and drying each other they put on the plush robes provided by the hotel and moved into the bedroom. Climbing under the covers, Sarah scooted over to Chuck. Just as she had that first night back, when Quinn sent her back to kill Chuck, she said, in a little girl voice: "Chuck, I'm cold." This time, however, it was not a ploy; she truly wanted to be warmed by him, to be enveloped in his arms … his love. Chuck knew she meant it with all her heart, just as his own love for her continued to grow. Before moving into his embrace she opened his robe and then her own. As their limbs intertwined, her left hand sought out his right, and she laid her head on his chest. She both heard and felt his moan of contentment as they were once again connected skin to skin. They lay still for only moments before the intimate connection stirred them both. They began to gently caress each other and it didn't take long for these movements to escalate. They were completely oblivious to anything beyond this room, this time, this sense of touching and loving each other.

Naturally, General Beckman woke them early that morning. They had only been asleep a couple of hours when both their phones began ringing. Sarah was reaching for her knife but Chuck grabbed her hand and pulled it to his mouth for a quick kiss. Then, continuing to hold her hand, he reached out for his own phone. "Hello," he rasped out groggily.

"Good morning, Mr. Bartowski. Is Sarah going to answer her phone?"

"No, I don't think so. She's not a very good morning person, you know."

"This is a heads up. I will be calling through the room's TV monitor in twenty minutes. Can you two be presentable by then?"

"Uh … make it thirty, and yes, ma'am, we'll be ready." General Beckman disconnected with an audible sigh.

Hanging up, he turned his attention back to his gorgeous wife. Even in the morning, with her hair all a mess and sleep still trying to hold onto her, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And when she opened her eyes, those ocean-blue orbs sent his senses into overdrive. "Come on, baby, Beckman's calling back in thirty."

"Ohhhhh," Sarah groaned. "Does that women ever call at a decent hour?"

"Baby," he whispered into her ear before capturing her earlobe with his lips, sending tingles all the way to her toes, "if we do this right we have fifteen minutes for ourselves and fifteen to get ready for her."

"Mmmmmmmmm … come here, my sweetheart."

**Scene 51: January 29, 2013  
****Noon  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo**

Ambassador Giordano entered the hotel suite along with lunch. "Hello, friends. I am so pleased you have chosen to join us."

"Not much choice."

"True. But I know you are going to come to embrace what we have to offer."

"And that is…?"

"Security … and wealth beyond your imagination. Come now, let's get through this assignment and then we can discuss that further."

"Ungh," was all Casey said, to which Gertrude added, "I have a pretty big imagination."

"We will be meeting with Dumante at 10:00 am tomorrow morning. After making the introductions and assuring him we are serious, you two will serve as our bodyguards. Assuming we come to a financial agreement, we will then work out details for you to be shown the merchandise. Once you have confirmed the quality and quantity, we will be able to set up delivery to our benefactors."

"How long will we have for this inspection?"

"How much time do you need?" Giordano continued to display his contempt for Verbanski as he returned her question.

"If I say 'as long as it takes' I know you will be upset, so, how about 24 hours?"

"I doubt that will be acceptable but I will convey it to all parties. You do know they will have their own operatives overseeing your inspection?"

"Of course. This is not my first time working with, shall we say, disreputable individuals."

The Ambassador glared at her for a moment before standing and walking out without another word.

"Just keep pushing his buttons, don't you Gertie!"

By the end of the afternoon they had completed their plan for the inspection. Just as they were wrapping up, Mr. A entered. "We will now be inspecting the travel route and meeting location. Come."

"Let's roll," both Casey and Gertrude said simultaneously as they stood and moved towards the second bedroom. Casey continued, "But … you either trust us now or we can call it quits. We are not leaving without our weapons … fully loaded."

"That's acceptable. But know that Mr. B and Mr. C will be along with us and prepared for action if you decide to try to leave us. I'll remind you of Mr. B's shooting talents." They just nodded an acknowledgement.

Verbanski loaded her Sig, strapped on her ankle pistol and secured a knife large enough to kill a Russian bear. Casey joined her with his own Sig and an assortment of other weapons. "Let's show 'em how we do things!"

The trip down to the parking garage was uneventful and the usual, white SUV was waiting for them. As promised, Mr. B & C were already inside. As the SUV pulled out Mr. A began to point out the details of their route. Moving onto the main thoroughfare they travelled for about a mile before turning right. Casey and Verbanski knew they had chosen the morning hours because the traffic would be the lightest and most people would already be off the streets because of the heat. There would be little opportunity for an ambush on the street.

After several more turns, with the streets getting narrower the further they went, they arrived at an upscale office building, eight stories high. The sign in front said _Conglomérat Delta. _ Casey and Verbanski both knew of the weapons manufacturer's clandestine dealings with terrorists. But they were demonstrating the height of egotism by openly and directly meeting with the pirates in their own headquarters.

"Our meeting tomorrow morning will be on the eighth floor. We can not go inside today, but we know their security is foolproof."

"So what will stop them from capturing us or stealing your money and never letting us out?"

"You've heard of 'honor amongst thieves'?"

"Yeah … and the tooth fairy, too."

"Anything more you need to know before tomorrow? No? Then we shall return to your hotel."

**Scene 52: January 29, 2013  
****Earlier...  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo**

Chuck and Sarah completed the job of waking each other in the most intimate of ways and then had to rush around to be presentable for Beckman's call. They were sipping their coffee on the sofa when the TV came on and General Diane Beckman was staring at them. "Good morning. Have you heard anything from Mr. Grimes regarding the trace on who set up _Verbanski Corp_?" _Always right to business_, they both thought, with a quick glance and smile at each other.

"No General, we haven't heard back from him. We were going to contact him this morning about that very thing."

"Keep on that. In the meantime I need to fill you in on part of the mission to Swinbitia. When _Verbanski Corp_ was hired as escort by the UN I hired them for a sub-mission as well." Again, Sarah and Chuck looked at each before staring back at the General. "We have been receiving intel that the Somali pirates are attempting to purchase state-of-the-art weaponry, including ship-to-ship missiles."

"Whoa" and "Wow" came out of Chuck and Sarah's mouths at the same time. "Diane, how accurate is this information?"

"That was what Verbanski and Casey were to try to find out. Because they were going to be in the region, we hired them to do some digging to try to trace this intel back to its origin and verify, or disprove, it's accuracy. Naturally, when they disappeared, we were afraid they might compromise this sub-mission and spoil the intel. Now, having seen them with _Conglomérat Delta _associates,and seemingly without guards, we have to wonder if they have gone rogue."

"Oh come on General. Casey going rogue? No way!"

"I agree with Chuck, Diane. That is completely absurd. For Verbanski as well."

"Nevertheless, we need you two to follow up on the sub-mission and either get Casey and Verbanski back, or end their connection to whoever is behind this."

"A burn notice, General?" It was obvious to all how Sarah's change to 'General' signaled a problem. She was appalled that someone she now considered a friend would ever issue such an order regarding her old partner and new friend.

"Only if completely necessary, Sarah. It will be at your discretion. Find them … help them if possible. But we can not allow this sale to happen.

"Now, we have a setup for you two to step into and run with. Here's the details: we received an anonymous tip and have been able to detain Henri Dumante and Martine Bergeron, both members of the Board of Directors of _Conglomérat Delta_, and long time dealers of illicit arms_._ As you can see in this picture, by adding a beard and dyeing his hair gray, Chuck can pass as Dumante; Sarah should have no problem doubling as Bergeron. We know they have a scheduled meeting tomorrow morning at 10:00 am." Chuck raised his hand tentatively and opened his mouth but the General cut him off: "Just a moment, Chuck. A courier is bringing you all the intel we have, including passwords, itinerary, information on negotiations to this point, and other pertinent information. Once you have studied all this we can conference once again and finalize our plans."

"I really don't think this is a good idea, General." Sarah was genuinely concerned they were stepping into something they would not be able to control.

"Agent Bartowski … Sarah ... through his flash, Chuck already knows more about _Conglomérat Delta _than anyone in the CIA or NSA."

"Bu-bu-but, General. How can I possibly imitate this ...uh, Dumante … with less than 24 hours to study him?"

"We have video and audio tapes as well. We … no, _I_ … know you can do this. We need you both to do this. Please."

This was probably the first time in the nearly six years they had known her, that General Diane Beckman had used the word please. They knew it was because of their level of familiarity, but it still took a great deal for her to utter that one simple word. They each nodded to her and then signed off.

"Well, if this isn't a fine kettle of fish…." Chuck's semi-serious, semi-humorous statement was lost on Sarah as she slammed her hand on the table and then turned to stare out the window, past the balcony and away to the horizon.

**Scene 53: January 30, 2013  
****The Next Morning  
**_**Conglomérat Delta**_

The next morning, Casey and Verbanski were up and preparing for the day's mission at dawn. They had had a simple breakfast of toast and their usual black, bitter coffee, out on the balcony, as the horizon began to glow. Now the sun was streaming in their windows as they finished dressing and preparing their equipment. Both were armed to the teeth and packing the other equipment they would need in case they went directly to the arms cache to inspect the weaponry.

At 0900 Mr. C came to the room and gathered them for the drive to _Conglomérat Delta._ They had been told they would pick up the Ambassador and another representative at a different hotel somewhere nearby. This time there were three white SUV's, with theirs' in the lead, the middle one for the two businessmen, and the final one carrying Mr. B and Mr. C. As they had predicted the day before, the morning rush of traffic was thinning now and they were able to travel at a steady clip. After a thirty minute trip they pulled into the _Mena House Oberoi, _probably the most exclusive hotel in Cairo. Once they pulled up to the main entrance Casey, Verbanski, and Mr. B all moved from the vehicles into the main lobby. Someone had called ahead as the Ambassador and a man neither Casey nor Verbanski knew, were waiting for them. They returned to the vehicles with Casey and Verbanski in protective positions around the two men. They were rolling again in less than fifteen seconds.

The trip was uneventful and they went into the underground parking garage of the _Conglomérat Delta _building. Two burly security men in black business suits met them and escorted the entire entourage into the elevators. Initially they tried to frisk everyone but the Ambassador spoke to them and they were allowed to continue unchecked. Verbanski looked at Casey with raised eyebrows: no _VCorp_ operative would have allowed that to happen, had they been on duty. Casey just grunted back to her in agreement.

In the elevator the Ambassador spoke to them for the first time, "Ms. Verbanski, Mr. Casey: this is Dalmar Raage, chief negotiator for the _Arann'te._ You will accompany us into the meeting, entering first. Ms. Verbanski, greet Dumante and make the introductions. Avoid small talk. Then join Mr. Casey just inside the door. We do not expect anything unusual but please be ready for anything. Do not, at any time after making the introductions, speak."

"Where are Mr. A and Mr. B?"

"They have a different assignment right now. That's why we needed you today."

The elevator arrived at the eighth floor and opened to a vestibule of glass and steel. The two gentlemen turned to their left immediately and proceeded to a set of double doors set in the far wall. Apparently they had been here before.

Two guards stood at these doors and, as the party walked up to them, opened the doors. The room they entered was plush and well appointed with dark wood furniture, rich, thick carpeting and walls decorated with excellent, contemporary artwork. An older gentleman was sitting at the large, ornate desk and a tall, dark haired woman was standing directly behind him with her hand resting near his neck.

Verbanski and Casey moved to the desk while the two men stopped just inside the doors, which were then closed by the two outside guards. As the man at the desk stood, and the woman moved forward, Casey was hit with a jolt to the chest. Verbanski looked quickly at him as he inhaled with an audible hiss, followed by a low rumble accenting his grimaced face. Verbanski looked back at the man and woman behind the desk and the sense of recognition struck her as well.


	14. Connections

A/N: This chapter is probably a little too much on the fluff side, with a little setup for who is behind all this mess. Hope it still works for you.

Still getting very nice comments and I do appreciate them all.

Still don't own any of this but am willing to talk.

**XiV. Disguises**

**Scene 54: January 29, 2013  
****The day before  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo**

After Beckman's call it took some time for Sarah to calm down. Chuck had gone to her and embraced her from behind, his arms resting on her crossed arms. He could feel the tension rippling through her body. They stood that way until Chuck's nature to talk overcame his sense that Sarah needed silence to process all they had just learned. "Sarah, honey, we know Casey has not gone rogue so it's a moot point. We'll follow up on this, get the intel Beckman needs, and show them that _Verbanski Corp_ is still on our side."

Sarah turned in his arms finally and linked her arms around his waist as well. "I know. But this has spiraled so out of control. What if we get caught up in it, too?"

He had no answer to that other than, "Then we'll deal with it … and fix it." The Bartowski smile came out then and Sarah couldn't help herself from smiling back. As she had so many times before, she marveled at the always positive outlook of her mate. "Let's go shower and dress before the courier arrives."

All the fatigue and tension left Chuck and Sarah as soon as the courier arrived with their assignment. Work was always stimulating for them both, and this was going to be an intense couple of days. The balcony was perfect for their morning's work and they were hard at it until noon.

They watched the video and Chuck was relieved that he would not have to emulate a French accent: Dumante spoke excellent English, having earned an MBA and Doctorate at Yale. Sarah would have to use an accent, but that was another of her special talents that so amazed Chuck. There was a great deal for them to learn in order to be knowledgeable enough to discuss arms sales with perspective buyers. Weapons, they knew, but pricing, suppliers, shipping, and all those details were out of their purview. Chuck flashed several times during the studies, each time with no problems, but causing Sarah to immediately try to pull the plug on the mission. Only with Chuck's most sincere reassurances that he was perfectly fine, was he able to keep her calm … on the outside at least. She didn't say much, but kept a close eye on him the rest of the morning, as they continued to study and quiz each other.

After their shower Chuck had put on a black _Nerd _t-shirt and khaki shorts while Sarah donned her favorite lounging apparel: one of Chuck's white, long sleeve, dress shirts, along with her boy shorts. "I'm not sure how much work I'm going to accomplish with you dressed like, hon."

"Down boy. I know you love to see me this way and I so love to wear your shirts. Besides, you're doing the same thing to me with that tight-fitting t-shirt you're wearing." Chuck had no comeback for that other than to stand and stare, eliciting a delicate blush from his golden haired goddess.

After lunch Sarah worked on Chuck's hair, dyeing it to match the gray of Dumante. Chuck flirted with her the whole time, pulling on the tails of her shirt and trying to run his hand through her golden tresses. She told him to cease and desist several times, insisting that she couldn't finish her work with all his distractions. "You definitely don't want to go to the meeting tomorrow with weird blobs of gray hair mixed in with your normal color!"

"Wow, Sarah," he said as she declared him finished, "another skill I had no idea you possessed. If _CI_ goes under, we can always open a styling salon."

Sarah whacked him on the shoulder but smiled at him in the mirror, "Disguises are always part of a spy's arsenal. Hmmmmm … not bad, if I do say so myself. I think you will pass."

"The only time I've gone on a mission in disguise was when we took down the Ring. Shaw saw right through it. I hope this one goes better."

"Shaw was expecting us to do something so it wasn't surprising he saw through it. None of these people know you, so that will make it harder for them."

Sarah leaned down and nibbled on his left ear. "Humph! I think I'm going to like having an _older_ gentlemen around." The seductive quality of her voice sent Chuck into a spiral and he quickly turned in the chair to grab her and pull her into his lap. Sarah's arms went around his neck and he pulled her into a gentle kiss, but she was having none of that: she increased the pressure of the contact of their lips and her tongue flicked across his lower lip.

Chuck tried to stand up but, with the extra weight of his willowy beauty, he just couldn't get his left leg to lift enough. Sarah pulled away and stood, pulling him up with her. "I've got you Chuck," she whispered. Now that he was up he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted. As she came back in to capture his lips she wrapped her legs around his waist and they moaned together as the full body contact made their heart rates soar. Chuck slowly and carefully walked out of the bathroom and over to the bed, which was still unmade. She unwrapped herself from his waist and pulled the t-shirt over his head. Once it was off, Chuck began unbuttoning Sarah's shirt. As he finished, she pulled him to her and then fell backwards onto the bed. She continued to pull until she had rolled him onto his back and ending up straddling him.

"You are the most stunningly beautiful woman in the world … and I love you so much!" As Chuck was making this statement Sarah's smile grew and grew and her incredibly blue eyes widened to their fullest.

"And you are the kindest, most passionate, and loving man in the world, and I love you more! Make love with me now, Chuck." Chuck's smile broadened and they were instantly back into each other's embrace, kisses pouring forth from one to the other, across lips, over ears and down necks. It would be some time before they became aware of the world around them again.

**Scene 55: January 28, 29, 2013  
****Two days earlier  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

When Chuck contacted him the evening of the 27th, it was early morning in Burbank. Morgan worked through the day, making some progress, until he realized Chuck had missed his latest check in call. Morgan put his search on automatic while he tracked down his two good friends. It didn't take long, thanks to his GPS tags.

The crisis at the airport had shaken him but he knew he had to get back to work on the original problem. Alex wanted him to come home to sleep but he refused. "Chuck is depending on me to find this; I can't let him down."

"But, honey, it won't help when you fall asleep at the computer terminal or miss something important because you are too tired. If you won't come home let's at least go to the safe room for a couple of hours. I can fix you something to eat and you will feel much better." Finally he agreed. Once locked in, she went to the kitchen and poured a drink for him while she prepared something simple to eat. When she came back out Morgan was laying on the bed, already asleep. Watching him a few moments, thinking how adorable he looked, and feeling pride in all he had accomplished today, Alex walked over to the bed and curled up next to him. It was a comfort, lying there with him, and she was soon asleep as well.

**Later….**

Morgan was startled when his phone began ringing. It took several moments for him to realize where he was and that the warm body next to him was Alex. _Ah, Alex_….

Finding his phone he answered and heard Chuck's laugh, "Wake up, dude. I finally got to turn the tables on you, didn't I? Are you secure, little buddy?"

"Um, yeah, Chuck, go ahead."

"Just wanted to check in to see if you have found anything yet on the vehicles?"

"Sorry, Chuck. After getting you out of your little jam I sort of crashed here at _CI_. Let me get some coffee and get to the lab to see what's happened in the past couple of hours."

"Okay. By the way, how do you like the safe room?" Laughing, Chuck hung up before his friend could respond in a slightly unfriendly manner.

Alex was standing by the door, coffee mugs in hand, when Morgan turned. "Sounds like we have work to do."

"Yep. I should never have fallen asleep. This intel is too important." Suddenly it dawned on what Alex had just said. "Honey, you said 'we' have work to do." Alex just stood there looking over the rim of her mug as she sipped the coffee. "Well, okay then, let's go."

As they walked back to the lab, Alex put a hand on Morgan's shoulder, "I know I can't help with the computer work but I can help with anything else you need. No reason for you to try to do this all by yourself."

Morgan just smiled at her. Once he keyed in the code and the door to the lab slid aside, they walked in and went to Morgan's terminal. Just before he sat down he grabbed Alex' hand, pulled her to him, and gave her an electric kiss. "Thanks, honey. Just having you here will make it all easier." As he sat and opened the work from yesterday, Alex just stood there, one hand to her mouth, the other on her heart, a huge smile playing across her lips.

"YES! I love this system Chuck designed. It's been working since we left, and it's made great progress. Let's see exactly what we know now."

Morgan worked for over an hour without further comment, which, in and of itself, worried Alex. She had never seen him not talking. Oh, he grunted and grumbled a few times, but no actual words or conversation. He had four terminals working simultaneously and rolled back and forth from one to another. Finally, he began sending information from each terminal to the massive touchscreen monitor on the wall to his right. Once everything he was working on was moved, he stood up, stretched, and walked over to huge screen.

As he studied it, Alex walked over to him with another cup of coffee, but did not speak. She sure didn't want to disturb his train of thought now. The technology was amazing. Morgan could move or resize any document on the screen; if he needed something not already on the screen he could call it up from any of the terminals he had previously been working on; and when he found a connection he could draw a line from one to another in whatever color he needed to get the flow of information organized. Alex was amazed at how easily he manipulated everything; he had really learned a lot in the installation process of _CI's_ technology. She also marveled at how their friend, Chuck, had designed it all from his hospital bed, so many months before.

The Swintibian governmental and military files were a mess. Much of the information would probably never make it into digital format. But what was available allowed Morgan to identify the chain of command, starting at the motor pool, where the jeeps and trucks had been procured, all the way back to the commanding general. He also found governmental connections between a Mr. Gottitobi, administrator of the Nbora Airport, a Colonel Ngobi from the motor pool, and General Montobi, Commandant of the army base. The government officials included a Vice Governor and the assistant to the Swinbitian Prime Minister. But there the trail went cold, and Morgan knew there had to be at least one more link in this chain.

"Morgan, I've fixed pizza. Let's take a break and eat. You need to clear your mind."

At first he started to protest but then stopped, sighed, and said, "You're right, Alex. Thanks for looking after me."

Alex distracted him with small talk and some subtle flirting to which Morgan blushed and smiled. "You are so good to me, Alex. You know, this has been great, having you here today. I know I haven't said much to you but your mere presence, plus the coffee and treats along the way, have helped so much." He reached out and took her hand. _How lucky can I be to have Alex in my life? Who would have believed, just a few, short years ago, that Chuck would be married … married to an incredibly beautiful and talented woman ... and I would be in a committed relationship with an equally wonderful lady. Our lives, like brothers, were running in such great, parallel … parallel? … brothers? … something there … what can it be? … _

Alex saw Morgan's eyes glaze over and watched him intently. Something was banging around in his head. "Morgan, what is it? Can I help?"

"Huh? Oh … uh … I've got to get back to the lab. Come with me and help me think this through." They ran back before Morgan lost the tentative connection he was starting to see.

**Scene 56: January 29, 30, 2013  
****One day earlier  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo**

They ordered room service for dinner after making love, taking a nap, and scrubbing each other in the shower which, of course, led to even more loving. They rarely spoke aloud, but spoke volumes as they looked longingly and adoringly into each others' eyes, while they caressed each other in those intimate ways only true lovers know. Sarah's sparkling blue's sucked Chuck into their depths and left him breathless. Chuck's equally mesmerizing chocolate brown orbs were enough to tell Sarah she could never live without him. They continued to stare at each other over their meal, bringing the most tantalizing blushes to each others' faces. Any time they both had a free hand they would reach out and intertwine their fingers. And Sarah loved to run her foot up and down Chuck's leg, giving him shivers of delight. They were so completely in tune with each other that their communication, verbal or silent, was so overt, even the most cold hearted cynic would know these two were deeply in love. There was nothing that would ever stand in their way to be together; and heaven help anyone who tried!

It was back to work after dinner to finalize their plans, theorize potential problems and appropriate solutions, and test each others' knowledge base. One tiny slip up could cause, not only the failure of the mission, but their capture, torture and/or death. They had to be absolutely accurate and confident in themselves, not as Chuck and Sarah, but as Henri Dumante and Martine Bergeron. All evening they called each other only by these character names so there would be no slip ups.

Finally, near midnight, with exhaustion taking over, they felt confident enough to call it quits and go to bed. They lay in each others arms, as usual, but sleep wouldn't come for either. "Sarah, are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Mmmm … yeah, I guess so. I can't ever remember being nervous before a mission, except my red test. I always knew there was danger and I had to do my job perfectly. But I was always confident and kept my mind on the job. Now I have so much more to live for. Just the thought of losing you makes me almost come unglued."

"No, no, no, Sarah, don't think that way. Together we are the best there is. You have to be your cold, ruthless, efficient, albeit beautiful, ninja spy girl. I need that confidence coming through to sustain me. From that very first night ... and morning on the beach ... you have been my rock."

"For you, sweetheart, I can do that. But I need to know you are okay. If at any time you have a problem ... physically ... with the Intersect ... whatever … you have to tell me!"

"For you, my love, I can do that."

Finally, sleep took over, but both Chuck and Sarah slept fitfully, with funny dreams of plans gone awry and forced partings.

Their alarms went off simultaneously, eliciting moans and complaints from both. But with a mission on, they came up and out of the bed ready for the day's work. Sarah helped Chuck with his beard first, then, while he went out to dress and order breakfast, she prepped herself, strapping on her knives, an extra gun and ammo, and her specially made, form-fitting, vest.

Chuck donned his vest and then the custom-made business suit. Despite not really being a business suit type, he loved the feel of the material, cut and fit of this suit. From outer appearances, he was definitely dressed for success in any business setting.

He was just getting their breakfast uncovered when he heard their bedroom door open. Looking up, his mouth dropped and a gasp resounded from his chest. He slowly stood up, holding the covering from Sarah's omelet. Walking slowly towards him was an amazing vision from times past. Sarah was dressed in all black: blazer, high neck blouse, knee-length skirt, and knee-high leather boots with stiletto heels. But he only noticed all this later. His sight … his tunnel vision … was focused on her face and head. She was wearing her black wig: long, straight tresses falling over her shoulders, while hair swept from her part, down across her forehead to her right eye, and on back to her ear. Dark tinted contacts matched her eyes to the all black ensemble. She was the most menacing thing he had ever seen … and completely, breathtakingly, beautiful.

His eyes were unblinking and his lips were moving, but no sound came out. Reading those lips Sarah understood as he mouthed _'Perfect'_ over and over, and a rush of adrenaline surged through her entire body.

" 'Allo, Henri," she said in a soft, sultry, seductive voice. "Like what you see?"

"Uh … hmmm … ah … oh … ye-ye-yeah. Oh, Sar … sorry … Martine. You are so … uh … very … mmmmm…."

"Henri," she said, stretching the name out luxuriously, with a delectable French accent, "shut up and kiss me!" She had walked up to him, straightened his tie and placed her hands on his chest. Dropping the plate cover, his arms came up to hold her waist and then their lips met, gently at first and then with increasing pressure. She wrapped her right leg around him and grabbed his hair in her left hand.

Chuck was overwhelmed to the point of overload! He was suddenly afraid they were going to burn out the Intersect, as well as every nerve ending in his body. He moaned into her mouth and pulled her even closer. As their lips parted, for each of them to breath, Sarah sighed. She laid her head on his shoulder and said quietly, "I guess we both know what we have to live for today."

In a very few moments she stiffened and pushed herself away from Chuck. He looked at her with concern, until he looked in her eyes and realized she had just put on her spy face. "Let's eat. We have to leave in thirty minutes."

Still quite dizzy, Chuck could only nod and sit down. They ate in silence until time to depart. Gathering their notes, they quickly left the room, and descended to the parking garage, where their SUV and driver were waiting. Forty minutes later they were escorted into the _Conglomérat Delta _building and up to the corporate executive suites on the eighth floor. No one questioned their identity or why they were there. So far, so good!


	15. What a Tangled Web

A/N: As things are starting to really pop and lots of things going on simultaneously, I've started to add actual times to the events. Remember, there is a ten hour difference between Cairo and Burbank. And as we all know, times and travel were pretty fluid in canon, so I've tried to be realistic but there may be some slight oddities.

Thanks for continuing to read and for the comments.

Same old, same old disclaimers...

**XV. What a Tangled Web….**

**Scene 57: January 29, 2013  
****One day earlier  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Morgan again worked through the night while Alex catnapped in a chair near him. Each time she awoke, the giant touch screen had more names, pictures and connections. It all seemed to be a complete jumble as Morgan added to, and rearranged, all the data. She would periodically bring coffee or snacks which he would gulp down and keep right on working. Alex was sure he was losing his mind and would, at some point, drop in exhaustion, or in a crazed stupor.

"YES! Found you, you creeps!" Morgan was jumping around and shouting, confirming Alex' fears.

"Morgan! What? Calm down, honey. You really need to get some rest."

"No, no, no, Alex. Look … I've got the jerks!"

Looking at the screen Alex was crushed under the amount of information on display. There wasn't a single pixel of unused space and yet here was her boyfriend shouting about finding someone or something. She took him by the shoulders and forced him to sit down. "Morgan, we both know that with all my defense training I could knock you down and out. Now for goodness sake, please sit down, take a breath, and clear your mind."

Morgan did sit but was looking at her with a crazed look in his eyes. His hair was all disheveled, his clothes were wrinkled and coffee stained, and there were chips in his beard. Alex knelt in front of him, took his hands in hers and looked at him with worry pouring out of her every pore. "Please, honey, slow down…."

"Okay … okay … Alex." He pulled one hand free and was waving it in the air at her but his speech had slowed and come down in pitch … a good sign. "Calming down … calming…." He relaxed back into the chair and closed his eyes. Then he opened them back up and smiled at his lovely girlfriend. "Sorry, to scare you, honey. Just got a big adrenaline rush there. Whew! Am I bushed!"

"Well, I guess so. You've basically been on this for 48 hours or more, found and saved Chuck and Sarah, and now … what have you found Morgan? What is it?

"It's the connection Chuck asked about. Man, he is always five steps ahead of everyone else. He knew this was going to lead to a … a …."

"Rats' nest?"

"Yeah! Yeah, that's it. A blasted rats' nest … of international proportions." Starting to rise he continued, "I've got to call General Beckman right now."

"No, Morgan. I'm putting my foot down … again. You need to go take a shower and change clothes. In the meantime I will fix us something to eat. Then, and only then, will I let you call her."

"But this…."

"No buts! Get to the showers, mister!"

Once he was showered and dressed he followed his nose to the the kitchen, off the Great Hall, where Alex had laid out a hugh breakfast spread even though it was still very early morning. It didn't matter as neither had eaten a decent meal in two days. Both dug in without a word.

After the feeding frenzy, Morgan patted his stomach and leaned back in the chair. "Alex, you were right (as always!). I really needed to clean up and eat. I feel so much better. Now I can properly face Gen. B!"

"When are you going to learn not to argue with me?" Alex' smile melted Morgan as he leaned over to give her a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they shared a quiet moment with the first kiss of the day. "Hmmmm … would like more … go call Beckman … then come back."

Morgan practically ran back to the lab. He brought the touch screen back to life and, in mere moments, cleaned up the entire screen until only eight pictures remained. Orange connection lines ran to and fro until he was satisfied with the results. Then he called Beckman.

"Grimes, do you know what time it is? We have an op in progress, and I've been awake for three days. You better have something important … and make it fast."

"Where has the art of civility gone?" With her stare burning through the monitor, he got back to business. "Never mind … I've found the information Chuck requested and it has led to an amazing set of connections. I am sending the information to you right now."

"I've got it. But what does it mean, Grimes?"

"It means, we have found the proverbial rats' nest. Follow along with the display:

"First, we have Ambassador Anselmo Giordano, airport administrator Nadif Gottitobi, and Dalmar Raage, Assistant to the Swintibian Prime Minister. They were all classmates at Cambridge in the 70's. Giordano and Gottitobi are also brothers-in-law. Then we have Rafael Montez, longtime assistant to Ambassador Giordano and son-in-law of General Taraq Montobi, the army base Commandant. He grew up with his step brother, Roble Finonni, the Vice Governor of Nbora Province and Colonel Emil Ngobi, motor pool commandant, who was an assistant in the Italian United Nations delegation when it was led by Ambassador Giordano. Last, but not least, Dalmar Raage is the brother of Sharam Raage, a suspected Somali warlord and leader of the _Arann'te_, the most feared Somali pirate cabal."

"Oh! So is there a point to all this?"

"You betcha! It was such a mess tracking…." Beckman glared at him once again! "Sorry … following up emails and cell phone calls we see that Giordano instructed Montez to arrange for 'alternative transportation.' Montez then sent an email to Gottitobi and Montobi informing them of the UN mission, the dates, and the entourage, including Verbanski and Casey. Montobi sent an internal message to Colonel Ngobi with the same information and instructions to use the 'special force' and their vehicles."

"So we have a UN Ambassador setting up the kidnapping and murders of the mission team. We have the military chain of command following up those orders. And, finally, we have the Prime Minister's assistant linked to the Ambassador, as well as a notorious Somali pirate. There is one inconsistency, Mr. Grimes: we had assumed that the ambassador was one of those killed when Casey and Verbanski were kidnapped."

"Ahhhaaaaa! We all know, General, what it means to _assume_ something."

Glowering over his comment, Beckman continued, "We will no longer _assume_ anything, Mr. Grimes. Excellent work on this. Unfortunately we are not out of the fire as yet because we have just sent the Bartowski's into a meeting with Giordano and others unknown as yet. Stand by. We may need your help again soon." After a short pause she added, "Again, well done, Grimes."

"Oh my God, Morgan. What about my dad … and Chuck and Sarah?" Alex had been watching and listening, out of sight from Beckman, and came running in, already sobbing, as the connection was broken. She lunged into his arms, almost knocking them both to the floor.

"Hey-hey-hey. It's alright. It's Casey and Chuck and Sarah. They're the best … you know that!"

But Alex couldn't say anything as she was sobbing hysterically into his shoulder. Morgan's face was one of dismay, showing what he was feeling, despite the encouraging words for his girlfriend.

**Scene 58: January 30, 2013  
****The Present, 8:30 am  
**_**Conglomérat Delta**_

Chuck and Sarah quickly made themselves at home in the office. They searched the entire suite quickly and efficiently, to know where everything was and how it worked. Chuck was into the computer in moments. His first thought was that _Carmichael Industries_ could really help these people with their security.

Sarah located several weapons around the room, all loaded and operational. She also hid several of their own in various other locations. Because of the nature of the mission she reduced the thirty foot rule down to ten. Of course, she would be armed to the teeth herself, and Chuck had his trusty tranq gun.

The security monitors alerted them that their guests were looked at each other, Sarah straightened Chuck's tie and ran her hands down along his lapels. They exchanged a quick kiss and longing glance. Then Chuck sat down at the desk, with Sarah standing at his immediate left. She placed a hand by his neck so everyone could see that they were partners, in every sense of the word.

As the door opened they each took in a cleansing breath, letting it out slowly, calming their nerves and slowing their breathing to a normal rate. Chuck was looking down as the entourage entered. He could tell from his peripheral vision that there were four people, two in front and two behind. Suddenly Sarah's light touch on his neck turned into a clench and he heard her inhale quickly.

Chuck stood and looked up, taking in the man and woman who had moved through the room to the desk, while Sarah moved up to his side. The shock almost made him fall back into the chair behind him. His shock then multiplied when he flashed on one of the men at the door: Ambassador Giordano! Tingles quickly ran up and down his spine as Sarah, still in contact with him, now at the small of his back, gripped his jacket in her hand, holding him upright.

Chuck began to cough and Sarah was really afraid he was going to lose control. But he quickly reached out for the glass of water on the desk and took a quick sip. "Excuse me, please." Then they moved out from behind the desk, keeping their eyes glued on the two standing before him. Offering his hand, he said, Please, welcome to _Conglomérat Delta_."

"Thank you, Henri. It is so nice to see you again." Gertrude took Chuck's hands and kissed him on each cheek.

"Y-yes, you, too, Gertrude. I trust you are well? I would like to introduce my partner, Martine Bergeron."

She shook hands with Sarah, and then introduced the two men accompanying her, while completely ignoring Casey. Hand shakes were exchanged all around, with Girodano and Dalmar Raage moving forward and Verbanski and Casey moving back, to stand in front of the doors.

"Please, sit. May we offer you something?" Sarah, ever the professional, showed no sign of the shock and confusion she was feeling. _What the hell is going on here,_ echoed through her brain.

"No, thank you, Ms. Bergeron. Let us get on to business, as it should prove to be a busy day for us all."

They launched into a very businesslike meeting. Sarah, aka Martine, took point, presenting the others with numbers and figures on available supplies, delivery costs, and payment procedures. Mr. Raage asked most of the questions as the Ambassador was merely the contact person in the process. Several points were negotiated to new terms but all seemed satisfied with the progress.

Almost two hours later they took a break. Sarah/Martine again offered refreshments, with everyone accepting this time. She started to take a tray to Casey and Verbanski but the Ambassador stopped her, saying they were not part of the negotiating team and would be fine without refreshments. Laughing, he commented: "We pay them for their ability to stand, not speak, and to have large bladders." Chuck/Henri just smirked, holding back his urge to punch him squarely in the face. Before she turned away Sarah was able to look both Casey and Verbanski in the eyes with silent acknowledgement of the situation.

As they were beginning to sit down once again, Giordano checked his watch. Sarah saw him push a button on its side and the face changed somehow. She couldn't tell what the change was but she knew it probably wasn't anything good. Squeezing his shoulder once again, she looked at Chuck with wide eyes telling him to be ready: _something's up!_

Just as Chuck/Henri began to address his guests again, there was a disruption from outside the doors; suddenly there was a loud crash and the doors shattered. Verbanski and Casey were knocked down by the concussion of an explosion. Two men appeared, guns drawn, stepping over the two outside guards, who were now on the floor. Giordano and Raage moved to either side of the room and as Sarah pushed Chuck to the floor behind the desk she saw the Ambassador press on a panel in the wall. It slid to one side and two more armed men entered the room. Four red dots now appeared on her torso.

**Scene 59: January 30, 2013  
****9:00 am  
**_**Conglomérat Delta**_

It was one of the most difficult assignments Casey had ever had, standing there, appearing to be a bodyguard for two men attempting to buy illegal arms, from two of the most important people in his life. Walker and Bartowski were the two best partners he had ever had, and, over the years, had become his friends … family even. Now they were opposite him, obviously working a mission, maybe even the sub-mission Beckman had hired them for: playing the parts of illegal arms dealers. And he had no way to warn them what they were up against or that he, too, was playing a part. Did they think he and Verbanski had gone rogue? Would they trust him? What if it came down to a fight … could the four of them convincingly fight each other?

Verbanski knew it was Chuck and Sarah as well, but did not have the long standing relationship with them that Casey enjoyed. True, she and Sarah had, after sparring for a time, come to respect ... even trust … each other. Since returning to Chuck after her memory loss, Sarah had even come to rely on Verbanski as … _dare she call her a friend?_ … as someone who she could talk to and relate to, at least on the spy level. And they were beginning to relax at the personal level as well. _So how was this scenario going to play out? We can't communicate, other than these quick glances. What cards do they hold and how do our cards fit in?_

The meeting adjourned for a brief break. Sarah started to bring them some water and fruit but that jerk ambassador stopped her with a crude comment. They exchanged looks and both Casey and Verbanski felt sure they read both concern and confidence in Sarah's eyes. They had tried to convey the same to her. Any doubt Verbanski felt was dispelled by the look Casey gave her as Sarah turned away. They were all on the same team!

The meeting was about to begin again when there was a disturbance outside the office. They heard shouting and were both starting to turn towards the door when it exploded inward, knocking them both down and driving shards of wood into their arms and legs. Casey, only semiconscious and unable to hear much, could tell Verbanski was unconscious. He tried to moved towards her but his arms and legs just didn't want to work. Despite this disoriented state, he realized four men had now entered the room, with guns drawn.

Finally getting some control back, Casey began to crawl towards Gertrude and saw her trying to move. She was bleeding from several wounds but none seemed serious. He still couldn't hear anything but knew that everyone's attention was on Sarah at the moment. Reaching his partner, he began to check her wounds and was reassured they were only cuts and small punctures. There were a few shards of wood sticking in her exposed skin which he pulled out gently. Gertie turned her head to look at Casey but her eyes were glazed over. Someone now moved over to them, and using their feet, pushed them both to what was left of the wall where the door had been moments earlier. This someone prodded them both with the barrel of an assault rifle before walking away, leaving them crumpled on the floor.

Casey managed to pull himself up to a sitting position, propped against the wall. Chuck and Sarah were now handcuffed together, with the ambassador standing in front of them while four men … Casey suddenly recognized them: Mr.'s A, B, C, and D ... stood around them, two with handguns and two with AK-47's. Raage was behind Giordano with a gun held down to his side. Still not hearing anything, Casey had no idea what was being said but, as usual, the ambassador seemed to be doing all the talking.

**Scene 60: January 30, 2013  
****11:30 am  
**_**Conglomérat Delta**_

As she pushed Chuck down behind the desk Sarah hissed at him, "Don't flash!" He looked back at her in dismay, freaking out when he saw the four red dots on her chest. As the dust settled and his hearing cleared, he could tell more men had entered the office. This was not playing out as they had planned.

One of the men came around the desk, hauled Chuck to his feet and clamped handcuffs on his left hand and then Sarah's right. As they were pushed together their hands sought out each other for a quick squeeze and then release; it was reassuring to make that simple connection.

Sarah watched as Casey began to move over to Verbanski, who appeared to be unconscious. Once there he checked her wounds before another one of the men roughly shoved them back against the wall. At least Sarah saw Gertrude beginning to move and Casey was able to prop himself up against the wall. Their injuries did not seem to be life threatening.

Giordano and Raage moved back to the center of the room and looked at them both with large, self satisfied grins on their faces.

"What is the meaning of this? How dare you come in here…."

"Please, Ms. Bergeron, save your protests. You are helplessly in our control. You really didn't think we would come in here and agree to your ridiculous demands did you?"

"Our security is going to be…."

"Again, stop before you embarrass yourself further. We have neutralized your security systems; no one knows our additional men are here or that anything untoward has happened. Now we need to discuss _our_ terms…."

"We aren't going to discuss anything with you other than how quickly you are going to remove these handcuffs and get out of our office!" Chuck was trying to use his meanest face, but he really didn't have a good one. He just hoped Giordano didn't know that.

"Sit down Dumante or I will shoot you where you stand!" Raage was now brandishing his handgun and shouting, causing Chuck to flinch and Sarah to tense up. She was ready, in case he got really crazy, to move to save Chuck. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Casey begin to tense up as well. _This is going to be a bloodbath!_ Terror gripped her heart.

"Now everyone just calm down. We will all be leaving now. No, wait, Dumante, tell me how you avoided being captured by the CIA. We sent them intel on how and when to capture you."

"Yo-yo-you what? Go to hell, Giordano. I'm not telling you anything."

"Well, we'll get it out of you soon enough. For now, let's go."

"Ambassador, what do we do with Verbanski and Casey?"

"You said they would be dead; what happened?" Giordano turned and yelled angrily as he moved to stand in front of Mr. D. Sarah was afraid he might start shooting them all, or at least the man he was yelling at. "Oh, just leave them … no, wait … Andrew, Conley, pick them up. We may still have a use for them." Sarah filed away the two names in hopes they could track them down later.

Verbanski was unceremoniously thrown over the shoulder of the first man but there was no way the other was going to pick up Casey that way. Casey was acting limp and disoriented, so the best the man could do was lift him by the armpits and drag him out. Casey's eyes met Sarah's as he was lifted so she knew he was faking it; if she saw an opening, he would be able to help.

Giordano and Raage left next, followed by Chuck and Sarah, under the watchful eyes of the other two armed men, who exited the office last. They passed down the hallway and into two elevators: Giordano, Raage, the guard carrying Verbanski and one of the guards in one; Chuck, Sarah, the guard with Casey and the fourth guard in the other.

Chuck and Sarah exchanged glances, once again letting each other know that they needed to do something now. Looking for an opening, they both tensed for action.

Once the elevator doors closed and they started down, Mr. D lifted Casey to his feet and shoved him into a corner of the elevator. But, in the effort to hold Casey upright, he dropped his handgun. He bent over to retrieve it, and as he stood back up Casey unleashed an upper cut that caught him square on the jaw, snapping his head up and around with a resounding crack. He fell against the other guard, knocking him off balance as well. Sarah, seeing her opening, slammed a kick up and into the guard's throat, crushing his larynx and puncturing his jugular with her heel. Two down, two to go.

Chuck reached a hand out to steady Casey, who shouted back: "I'm okay Bartowski; let go of me." Shaking his head he continued, "Can't hear much yet ... have to take visual clues. You have a plan?"

Sarah was also reaching out to Casey and nodded her head up and down. She looked at Chuck with a big smile and said, "Switzerland!"

Chuck, reeling from the effects of her brilliant smile, smiled back, gave her his best Bartowski eyebrow wiggle, and replied, "You are so pretty!"

Then the elevator doors opened.


	16. ConglomératDelta v Carmichael Industries

A/N: And so we arrive at the conclusion of Season 6, Episode 2. The kidnappers plan is starting to come into focus but there are still missing parts. Charah is alive and well, Morgalex is playing a big role in putting the pieces together, and Caski are still separated. So much yet to learn and so much fun yet to come. Thanks to one and all for continuing to read and comment. I have A LOT of editing to do on S6Ep3 so there might be a short break here before starting to post. But I promise it won't take long.

All disclaimers still in force.

**XVI. **_**Conglomérat Delta vs. **__**Carmichael Industries**_

**Scene 61: January 30, 2013  
****12:05 am (PST)  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

"Grimes!" The General's sudden appearance on the screen to Morgan's left, and her shout, startled him. He had been cleaning up the mess left from the past three days of non-stop work here in the lab. Alex had gone home to get a few hours of sleep before she had to be at work but Morgan stayed in case Chuck or the General called, needing anything.

"Oh … Dia … er, General. Hi. You scared me. You know, you really need some sort of warning…." At her menacing glare, he stopped rambling and straightened his posture. "What's up, ma'am?"

"Grimes, we have not been able to contact either Chuck or Sarah and _Conglomérat Delta _seems to be locked down with some security problem. Have you heard from them?"

"No, ma'am. Nothing on this end."

"We have some security footage from the parking garage." The screen changed to show the garage. Morgan saw a white SUV pull up and watched as Ambassador Giordano, Dalmar Raage, Casey and Verbanski got out and moved to the elevator. "As you can see, Casey and Verbanski seem to be providing security for these two criminals."

"Welllllll ... that's what it appears to be. I thought the ambassador was dead."

"Obviously we were wrong. We haven't received any information from the Swinbitian government regarding the bodies the Bartowski's found."

"Well, I'll bet when they get inside and meet up with Chuck and Sarah, they are going to kick these clowns butts!"

"Because of who it is, I am allowing this to move forward. But if we are wrong, Grimes, there will be hell to pay and…." She stopped the video as she was speaking.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, General. Sorry, but did you see the end of the footage?"

"Grimes, what on earth…."

"General, when you stopped the video, was that the end?"

"No, I don't think so. It goes on a bit."

"Let me see it." Seeing her frown deepening, Morgan lowered his voice a bit, "Er, uh … please."

"Oh very well."

The security tape had shown the four operatives enter the elevator, the doors close, and the lights above the doors change, indicating the elevator was moving upward. When the General restarted the tape they saw another white SUV drive up, and suddenly there were four quick shots, killing the two guards still standing by the elevator doors. Four men exited the SUV and jumped inside the second elevator as the doors were opening.

"There ... there, General, something else is going on."

"How did you know, Mr. Grimes?"

"Just as you were cutting away I saw a flash of white and somehow it made me think to look for another SUV. But what do we do now?"

"This video is about an hour old. We have to hope Chuck and Sarah are able to contact us. In the meantime, Grimes, see if your tracking devices are still operational. I'll get back to you."

Morgan had already pulled up the GPS signals and knew that Chuck and Sarah were still in the building and close together. "What are you two up to? And do you know Casey is there, too?"

**Scene 62: January 30, 2013  
****11:40 am  
**_**Conglomérat Delta**_

The other elevator arrived at the garage level and the passengers started to exit just as Chuck and Sarah leapt out of their elevator. There were two guards standing just outside the elevator and their leap caught them completely off guard. Chuck and Sarah clotheslined the first guard with their handcuff chain and as the second brought his gun up Sarah kicked it loose, quickly followed by a punch to the side of the face by Chuck, who had flashed just as the elevator doors were opening. The punch didn't seem to phase him at all but a double kick to the chest and stomach, one from each, took him to his knees. Sarah's followup chop to the side of the neck finally rendered him unconscious.

The Ambassador and Raage had started to exit so were next in line to receive a greeting from Team Bartowski. Chuck grabbed Sarah's handcuffed hand and arm and swung her in an arc, bringing her deadly feet up to connect with the heads of both Giordano and Raage, dropping them into a heap. Coming up to stand back to back, they were ready now for anything. Four more men came running out of a door near the elevators plus the two from inside the elevator, but Chuck and Sarah were ready for them.

The first time Chuck saw Sarah fighting with a partner was way back in the _Buy More,_ with Bryce against a gang of Fulcrum agents. He was so totally amazed … at both of them … how well they moved together; they were obviously an experienced and complimentary team. He had stared at them ... well mostly at Sarah … with jaw dropping amazement; such beauty combined with raw and deadly force. But that was nothing compared to the connection they now had together; and it had nothing to do with them being handcuffed together. They were the ultimate team, anticipating each other's moves, covering each other's back, using each other for leverage, to generally wreck havoc upon their foes.

Sarah faced the four running towards them while Chuck was head to head with the two coming from the elevator. Even fighting with one hand tied behind their backs, so to speak, they were far more than a match for the oncoming foes. They punched and kicked through the first wave. Sarah then rolled over Chuck's back, reversing their positions and bring a new set of fists to the fray. After several flurries of punches and kicks, they turned to face each other. He picked her up and swung her, first to his left and then to his right while she kicked first one behind them, then one in front and a third coming from behind again.

Even Casey, who had emerged from the elevator, stopped and watched the whirling dervish, completely dominating a force, far superior in number and size. As Sarah was finishing off the last of the six who had come at them from the back, he saw Mr. B come back to his knees and reach inside his coat. "Sarah, behind you … gun!" Casey knew, from experience, just how fast and deadly Mr. B was with a gun, but had no other way to help them.

Sarah knelt down, pulling Chuck down as well. Reaching into the top of her boot, she grabbed two knives and in the blink of an eye threw both behind her in a blind toss. As she let go of the knives she rolled towards Chuck to cover him while bracing for the impact of a bullet. But it never came.

Instead she heard a strangled scream of pain at the same time as the metallic clang of a gun hitting the floor. "Chuck, honey, are you okay?"

"Wow, Sarah, that was amazing." Smiling that big Bartowski smile, he continued, "I'm great … and you?"

"Yeah, I'd forgotten … not from the Intersect … but from not doing it recently, how great we are together." They had moved to sit on the concrete, facing each other, each with a hand on the other's cheek and eyes locked together.

"Ungh! Come on you two; are you still at it?" Casey had limped over to Sarah's last victim and picked up the gun laying nearby. He was lying on his back: one knife in his right bicep, which had caused him to drop his gun, and the other knife buried deeply into his chest. He was not going to live long now. But he was still conscious as Casey bent over him and looked him right in the eyes. "Well, Mr. B, I guess we found someone who is faster and more accurate than you! Just sorry it wasn't me." There was just enough time for his eyes to open widely, registering what Casey had said, before they glazed over and he was gone forever.

Just as Casey was standing back up there was a rustle and a rush as someone jumped up and ran into the first elevator. Chuck and Sarah started to stand when suddenly Chuck's left leg gave out and he fell, pulling Sarah down with him. Casey was bringing his gun to bear just as a shot rang out from inside and he heard a scream behind him. He got off two shots as the doors closed but his aim was off because his eyes had gone to Verbanski, who was still on the floor of the elevator. His last sight, as the doors closed, was the ambassador smirking at him, gun in hand.

"Sarah! Oh no, no, no! Sarah, honey!" Chuck's cries brought Casey back to the moment and he turned to see Chuck cradling an unconscious Sarah, bleeding from a head wound.

**Scene 63: January 30, 2013  
****1:55 am (PST)  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

The jangling of Morgan's phone woke him. It was playing the _Theme from Peter Gunn,_ which brought Morgan instantly awake, because it was the ringtone he had assigned to Casey. Chuck had programmed the phones of everyone at _Carmichael Industries_ with a special, secure code that would identify them, even if they were calling from a strange phone. "Casey! Casey? Is that really you?"

"Yes, moron, it's me. Ungh! Who do you think would use this code? Listen, do you know where we are?"

"We? As in you and Verbanski? What about Chuck and Sarah?"

"I am with Bartowski and Walker. Do. You. Have. Us?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Good. We need an ambulance here immediately!"

"Okay, putting in a call. Who needs it?

"Walker's been shot! Tell them to hurry!"

"Got it. They are rolling. Should be there in five minutes or less. Casey, I need to contact Beckman. Is everyone else alright?"

"Chuck's hurt his leg. I've got a lot of scratches and bruises. But that asshole Giordano has taken Gertrude. Again!"

"Got it. Will call you right back."

It took longer to reach General Beckman than Morgan anticipated. She had been in the SitRoom and had to be called out. "What is it Grimes?"

"General. Just got a call from Casey. Sarah's been shot and Chuck's hurt his leg again. We've called an ambulance. And Giordano still has Verbanski."

"Crap! How bad is Sarah? What did Casey tell you?"

"I don't know. We didn't spend any time on that; just let me know they needed the EMS."

"We've been monitoring the situation from here. There was a small explosion in the offices where the meeting was going down. But we don't really have any assets on site to give us more. Casey and you will have to keep us informed. I will see what resources we have to track Verbanski." And she broke the connection.

Morgan was already dialing another number as Beckman finished up her end of the conversation. After five rings a groggy voice answered, "Morgan, I just got to sleep."

"I know sweetheart but wanted to let you know I just talked to your dad. He's okay; a little beat up but otherwise good. Called me moron so I figure all is well, in his head anyway. But Sarah and Chuck are hurt and we have called an ambulance. Anyway, thought you would want to know your dad is back with us. Now get back to sleep."

"Morgan…." But he had already hung up. _Yeah, right, go back to sleep. At least I can relax a little. Poor Sarah and Chuck; they can't seem to catch a break. Please let it not be serious._

**Scene 64: January 30, 2013  
****12 noon  
**_**Conglomérat Delta**_

"No, no, no, Sarah. Oh, baby, come on … come back to me." Chuck was frantic at this point. He had pulled his coat off his right arm and was using the sleeve to compress the wound on the side of her head. But he was desperate for her to regain consciousness.

Casey had continued to shoot into the elevator doors until his clip was empty but now turned and shuffled over to his two friends. He leaned down and felt her neck: "Pulse is strong, Bartowski. She'll be okay; I think she's out because she actually hit her head on the concrete when you two went down. Try to relax. How's your leg?" As he asked this he knelt down and used one of Sarah's knives to pick open the handcuffs, which he stuffed into his pocket.

In his panic Chuck had actually not thought about the pain in his left leg. Now as he could do nothing but cradle Sarah's head in his lap, he realized that the pain was intense and the leg didn't want to work too well. "I don't know, Casey. Doesn't seem to want to work. Lots … of … pain." Chuck was beginning to get woozy from the pain. In the distance he could hear sirens and he hoped they were coming to rescue his love.

"Listen, I've got to get out of here. Cairo police and I don't exactly see eye to eye. Plus I've got to try to track Gertrude. Can you hang on?"

"Ye-yeah, Casey. Got it. Hey, wait!" Chuck ripped his shirt and pulled his vest off. "Take this. I know it will be too small for you but Morgan has installed a GPS tracker. He doesn't think I know but…. Well, anyway, this way we can keep track of you and come to help."

"Thanks. I'm taking your phone, too. You just take care of that wife of yours." And he was gone.

An ambulance and police car pulled up with screeching tires. The attendants ran over and Chuck waved them to Sarah. "Take care of her. I'm okay except my leg." As they checked the wound, the EMT realized she was wearing a wig and pulled it off. There was a lot more blood in the wig and soaking her golden tresses, causing Chuck to gasp. The attendant commented that the wig had help stem the flow of blood and he assured Chuck the wound had mostly stopped bleeding. Despite looking very pale, her vitals were still strong.

As they worked on her, an official looking man came over to Chuck and asked what had happened. "We were here all morning in meetings, and when we came out to return to our hotel, these men attacked us. I don't know why. Uh … if I may, who are you, sir?"

"Forgive me, I am Lieutenant Amdul of the Cairo Police. So, sir, you and this woman fought all these others off, stabbed one and shot up the elevator?"

"Yes. We travel abroad a lot and have extensive defensive training. Listen, I will be glad to talk to you, but right now I have to go with my wife."

Sarah was being loaded into the ambulance and the detective asked the attendants which hospital they would be going to. Once he had their answer he turned to Chuck, "Mr. … uh, Dumante, was it? Please remain at the hospital until I have a chance to question you further. Now, go with your wife."

One of the attendants immobilized Chuck's knee by strapping on a leg brace. He then helped him to his feet, and into the back of the ambulance, where he sat next to Sarah. Chuck took her hand and kissed it, then held it to his cheek, where tears were streaming down his face.

They had just gotten out onto the street, with the siren blaring, when Sarah stirred and squeezed Chuck's hand in a fierce grip. His eyes popped open and he stared deeply into her eyes. She couldn't quite focus and was grimacing in pain but could tell Chuck was spiraling. "Chuck ... honey ... don't, uh ... freak out," she gasped. "It's okay. Just a little bump. Don't spiral … just hold me."

"I've got you Sarah. We're on the way to the hospital ... you're going to be fine." She smiled, but then her eyes drifted shut again, hopefully from the meds the attendants were giving her. "I love you Sarah. Just don't leave me."

"Love … you … more."

**Scene 65: January 30, 2013  
****12:10 pm  
**_**Conglomérat Delta**_

Casey got into the second elevator. Once the doors closed he checked on the two men still inside: Mr. C was dead but Mr. D still had a pulse.

He figured Giordano was headed for the roof and would call in a helicopter for an extraction. He was also confident that Verbanski could take care of herself IF she came to with no side affects. But she had been in and out of consciousness so there might be more damage from the blast than he could see. His hearing was mostly back, with only a slight ringing still in his ears. But all the little cuts and bruises were taking their toll. He would have preferred to use the stairs so he could keep an eye on that route but knew it would take too long.

He was stopping at each floor but didn't see anyone. He had reloaded Mr. B's gun and kept it at the ready. The thought crossed his mind that Giordano could have taken the elevator up, waited somewhere and then went back down, hoping he could still grab one of his SUV's and drive himself out. No, he thought, that asshole wasn't quite that cunning. But he was ready, just in case, each time the doors opened.

_Sure hope we've eliminated all his goons_. He was trying to stay in spy mode and not think about Gertrude. Damned distractions. I wonder how Bartowski and Walker do it? Guess they've just been at it longer.

Then he heard a moan behind him. He turned to see Mr. D starting to move and trying to pull himself up. Casey instantly stuck his gun into the man's throat: "Just stop right there buster. Sorry, but I just don't need you as a distraction right now."

As Casey was starting to squeeze the trigger, Mr. D raised his right hand, "No, please, stop. Don't shoot. Colonel Casey, I'm NSA, too."

"What?"

"I've been undercover for almost two years. I've got an ID sewn into my waist band. Let me get it … please?" His voice was filled with both pain and pleading but Casey wasn't going to let any lady feelings interfere with the job he had to do.

"Okay. But move slowly and carefully. Anything I see, or don't see, that I don't like and you're a dead man."

"By the way, my name is Draimon Walters. Helluva upper cut you have there Colonel. Now I'm undoing my belt here and turning the waistband outward. Here's a string that I'm going to pull, opening up a slot. Reaching in and pulling out this document, he continued: "Scan this with your iPhone … see what you get."

He handed the paper to Casey who had pulled out Chuck's phone. He scanned it and the phone connected with a secure database showing a D. Walters, picture showing the man on the floor in front of him, and identifying him as an NSA agent assigned to Covert Operations.

"Looks legit but I'm not going to just hand you the keys to the safe. As long as you don't give me a reason, I won't kill you. One suspicious move and you're gone. Get it?"

"I understand. What's happened?"

Casey filled him in, continuing to use Chuck and Sarah's aliases, just in case. Walters … Mr. D … was astounded when Casey told him those two had eliminated all the guards, except him, and Raage. Walters confirmed Casey's idea that Giordano was headed to the roof for extraction and suggested they stop on seventh floor and walk up to the top floor, and then on to the roof. It seemed reasonable, so Casey pressed the button and they started up once again.

"Hey! I haven't seen or heard anyone in this building. Do you know where everyone is?"

"Part of the plan was for a terrorist alert drill today. It included complete evacuation of the building just after you got to the office upstairs. We cut the alarm for that floor so your friends wouldn't hear it. Then went door to door up there and got everyone out. Once out, everyone was sent home for the day to 'test the transportation systems'."

"Clever. Too bad they tangled with my friends. Verbanski and I had identified you as the weak link when you were first questioning us. Was that on purpose?"

"My M.O. has been as a timid little nervous Nellie. So when we met, I tried to make little mistakes that would alert you. I was hoping, if we had had more time together, you would try to turn me, and I could let you know who I really am. Then when this part of the plan got fast tracked to today, I figured we would have to wait until we were back in Swinbitia."

"So we were headed back there?"

"Yeah. But I don't know what the plan was from there. They didn't confide in us too much in advance; at least not with me."

They arrived at the seventh floor. Casey motioned with his gun, still trained on Walters, for him to stand. Once he moved out into the hallway, Casey motioned for Walters to follow him out. They moved down the hall, Walters in front, to the stairwell. Cautiously they opened the door and moved in. Casey checked the stairs up and down and saw no one so they started up the stairs. Once at the top, Casey told Walters to open the door and step out slowly. Following him, Casey stepped out but there was no one in sight. Had Giordano already left or was he hiding somewhere with Verbanski?

**Scene 66: January 30, 2013  
****2:52 am (PST)  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Morgan was beside himself: he hadn't heard from anyone since those initial calls. Alex had called about every five minutes but he had no news for her, which just served to frustrate her even more. He also tried to call and text Chuck's phone but got no answer. He dared not call Beckman again and was frustrated she hadn't updated him either.

Finally, the screen lit up and General Beckman, looking as worn as Morgan had ever seen her, stared out at him for several moments.

"General, do you know anything new?"

"A little, yes, Mr. Grimes. We sent a team into the _DeltaCon_ parking garage and found ten unknown men being guarded by the local police. Five were dead including Dalmar Raage, which could become a diplomatic problem. Four were unconscious and one awake but disoriented. They had all been beaten up pretty badly."

"YES! That's my Chuck and Sarah!" Morgan was pumping his fist in the air until he heard the General clear her throat.

"I have no doubt of that; possibly Casey and Verbanski, too. At any rate, we did not find any of our people there. We have one of our agents at the nearest hospital but haven't heard from her as yet. Please see if you can track any of our people. Do you still have the parking garage security feed?"

"Oh, man, I didn't think to look there. Just a sec … yep … okay, here it comes. What time did the ambulance come?"

"12:27 p.m. Cairo time."

"Okay … hmmmmm … ah, there it is. Looks like … uh huh … Chuck and Sarah on the ground … looks like Sarah might be unconscious … someone is looking at Chuck's leg. A policeman questioning Chuck, I would guess. General, do you want to see what happened prior to this?"

"Not at this point. Please download the entire sequence of events for future reference. Thank you, Mr. Grimes. Track down our friends and get back to me."

It was not lost on Morgan that General Diane Beckman, NSA/CIA hardass leader, had just asked him to find 'our' friends. _There is a heart in the old gal after all!_ _Oh ... better not say that out loud!_

The trackers were already feeding intel to _CI_'s computers but Morgan was puzzled. There were two separate signals, quite a distance apart. And yet he had just seen both Sarah and Chuck departing in the ambulance. Why weren't the signals together? It could only mean one thing: someone else had taken a piece of their mission apparel.

Morgan was still pondering this when his phone rang, again with Casey's code and ring. "Hey, Buddy, am I glad…."

"Shut up, moron, and listen. I need…."

"Casey? Casey, is that you?"

"Of course it is. Who else calls you that? Didn't you see my code? Never mind: I'm on the roof of _Conglomérat Delta_ and need some intel. What do you know?"

"Oh Casey, am I glad to hear from…."

"GRIMES!" Casey's growl echoed through the phone speaker with enough force that Morgan trembled.

"Sorry, sorry. Can't tell you much. We saw Chuck and Sarah being loaded into an ambulance but haven't heard from them. There is an agent watching for them at the hospital. Do you have some clothes from one of them? Of course, you do. I have you on the roof with a GPS tracker…."

"I've got Chuck's vest and phone. Do you have a live camera feed of any kind?"

"Let's see … not on the roof itself. Let me look around. Hmmmmmmm…. Okay, here we go. There's a security camera on the building to the east."

"Look around to see if anyone is visible. Also keep an eye out for a helicopter."

Morgan tapped into the camera across the street and panned it to look over the _Conglomérat Delta_ roof. He saw two men standing just outside the entry door; _that must be Casey but I wonder who is with him?_ But he didn't see anyone else.

He was just getting ready to call Casey again when a helicopter popped up, over the side of _DeltaCon,_ and quickly landed on the roof. Casey started to move towards it when a hail of bullets from the chopper tore through the roof near him and forced him into cover. A man, half pulling, half dragging a woman lurched towards the helicopter, shoving her inside when they arrived. Casey was trying to fire back but was effectively pinned down. In a cloud of dust and roofing rock, the helicopter lifted off and was gone in seconds.

"Morgan … Morgan! We have to track that chopper! Call Beckman and get help!"

Morgan was already calling her, as well as tasking the _Carmichael Industries_ satellite. He was just afraid the helicopter would be gone before he could get everyone up to speed.

_**To Be Continued….**_

**_A/N2:_**

Coming soon, to a fanfic posting near you: Chuck, Season 6, Episode 3:

_Sarah was laying on the ground next to him, bleeding …. Sarah had been shot .… it wasn't a dream! We're in a hospital .… __Giordano looked down at Verbanski: "Well, Ms. Verbanski, it seems we have encountered a temporary setback here. But there are contingencies. Too bad your friend, Mr. Casey, won't be able to accompany us further. I certainly hope his demise was painful" …. She felt the sharp edge begin to push on her skin when suddenly the door burst open and a shot rang out ... "Hahahaha. You two," Walters spit out with a smirk. "You won't do anything to me here. I know you too well, and I know how the CIA operates. All rules … no guts!" …. "Come on Mr. Walker, let's get back to bed. We have to get some rest. Better laying in there, in each others' arms, than sitting here." …. "Never a truer word has been spoken, Mrs. Bartowski."_


	17. Old Friends New Information

A/N: Some of the places this story visits are real and some are made up. It really doesn't add much to explore which are which. Italics indicate thoughts by a particular character. The time bounces around once in awhile so watch the dates and times carefully. As there is a lot going on simultaneously I have started putting in specific times. Remember there is a ten hours difference between Cairo and Burbank. I think that's all the caveats I need to include here. Sorry, if it's all repetitious; just want everyone to be up to date.

I hope you enjoy this! Please let me know one way or the other.

_Disclaimer_: As I am still paying my daughter's college tuition and loans, I can not afford to purchase the rights to _Chuck_. No rights infringement meant to anyone, anywhere … ever.

**Chuck vs The Missing Spies, Part 2**

_**Season 6, Episode 3 **_

**XVII. Old Friends; New Information**

_Here are some things you need to know, or have just forgotten:_

_Casey and Verbanski were kidnapped while on a mission to Africa. General Beckman convinced Chuck and Sarah to effect a rescue mission. The kidnappers convinced the two VCorp operatives to appear to go rogue, and help them with a meeting with two illicit arms dealers, who were being impersonated by Team Bartowski. Meanwhile, Morgan and Alex are back at Carmichael Industries, tracking down the mysterious thugs behind the whole scheme. Now Chuck and Sarah have been taken by Somali pirates and Casey and Verbanski have been wounded in the attack. How will our heroes take on this new challenge? Here is the continuing story of Charah, Morgalex, and Caski._

**Scene 67: January 30, 2013  
****2:20 pm  
****Cairo Hospital**

"Well, we're a fine looking pair." Chuck heard a sultry, purring voice and felt a hand running through his hair. He had been having a dream: Sarah was laying on the ground next to him, bleeding. "Chuck, sweetie, wake up." That voice whispered again. He peaked through barely opened lids and a beautiful, albeit pale and strained, face was there before his. He couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face and he opened his eyes fully to look deeply into the azure eyes above his. She was holding his left hand and, even though they had not worn their rings on the mission, she was running her fingers over the place where his ring should have been.

"Sarah, baby, where are we?" And then it hit him: _Sarah had been shot … it wasn't a dream!_ _We're in a hospital. But if she was shot why is she standing over me and not the other way around?_

"Chuck, it's okay. We're both fine; you just fell asleep. Come on, sit up, they brought us fruit and water." It was obvious to Sarah that he was freaking out and she wanted him to relax.

As he sat up and looked at his lovely wife he saw the bandages on her head. "Oh, Sarah. Are you really okay? Should you be out of bed?" He leaned in for a quick kiss.

Returning the kiss she answered, "I'm fine, Chuck. Just a graze on the scalp; looked worse because of all the blood. Embarrassingly, the bump on the head, from when I fell, is worse." She took his hand, kissed his palm, and put it on the back, left quadrant of her skull where he felt a huge bump.

She grimaced slightly and he pulled his hand away quickly, "Oh my God, Sarah. Sorry, sorry! Did that hurt? I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you sure…."

She placed a finger on his lips, stopping his speech: "Relax, Chuck ... you're spiraling again. I'm fine and we're getting out of here in an hour or so." Looking down at his leg she continued, "How's your knee feel now?"

Chuck realized there was still a brace on his left leg but he didn't feel any pain. Probably the meds they had given him just after taking an X-ray. Things were coming back now: he had rushed … well, as much as his leg would let him … into the emergency room where they were working on Sarah. A nurse pushed him into a wheelchair and rolled him to the next bed where an attendant was waiting to lift him onto the bed. He kept insisting he needed to be with Sarah but they assured him she was fine and they were just cleaning up the wound before sending them both to a room together.

"We were fantastic today, weren't we?"

"Honey ... we were never better. You were doing things I've never seen you do before … and that's saying a lot."

"The flash was really smooth. And I could feel every nuance of your movements, which I could then time with my own. It was like we were dancing! Wow! How many did we take out?"

"I lost track … they were all dressed so much alike … but it had to be eight or more. And big! Not a little guy in the bunch."

With his crooked little smile, he grazed her cheek with this fingers, "You always liked fighting the big guys!"

They were just leaning in for another kiss when they were interrupted by the doctor who had treated Sarah. "Good. You're both awake. We just need to make a final check of you both and then you may go. I really don't think it's a good idea, but your embassy has contacted us and you will be taken there. Now let's take a look…."

Chuck and Sarah's eyes met as they both questioned what they had just heard. Why would the embassy be involved? They would have to be on their toes in case it wasn't actually the U.S. Embassy. As always, they would just have to rely on each other.

"Mr. Dumante, you have obviously sustained a very serious injury to your leg in the recent past, which is why it gave out after putting too much strain on it. There is no additional damage but you need to be carful and go easy on it. You should keep this brace on it until a doctor releases you. Ms. Bergeron you have a slight concussion and both the knot and wound on your head will be quite sore for a few days. You will also have a pretty severe headache for a few days. Here are some swabs and cleaning solution you can use to keep it all clean. Good luck to you both."

Two attendants had entered with wheelchairs as the doctor was talking. After signing a few forms, they were allowed to get in the chairs and were wheeled out. In the elevator they sought out each others' hand and intertwined their fingers while looking lovingly into each others' eyes. The two attendants looked at them, then each other, and smiled. They had never seen two people so obviously in love.

They were escorted to a sleek, black Mercedes limousine where an attractive young woman, dressed in a black pant suit and white blouse, which Sarah recognized as CIA standard issue, waited to open the door. Once inside, the young woman joined them and the limo pulled away. "Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael, I am Agent Angela Marconi. General Beckman sent me to find you. How are you both doing?"

Sarah was wary … _Did Beckman really have to send a pretty brunette? Sheesh!_ … as she worked to get a feel for the situation and their new escort. "Nice to meet you Agent Marconi. We are a little beat up but otherwise doing well. General Beckman sent you?"

"Yes. She and a Mr. Grimes were keeping tabs on your mission this morning. When the ambulance was called, she sent me to the nearest hospital to see who would arrive, and what condition they were in. We were all relieved to see that it was the two of you and your injuries were not serious."

"Are we really going to the embassy or was that a cover story?"

"That's just a cover, Mr. Carmichael, to satisfy the hospital officials and local police. Lieutenant Amdul was not pleased we were stepping in so quickly. Well, that, and the fact that we have a cleaner crew at _DeltaCon,_ removing the bodies and sanitizing the site, including the eighth floor offices."

"That was fast." Sarah had seen the cleaner crews before, of course, but this was really fast; and in such a public place, where the locals were already involved. _Diane must really be calling in the big guns on this one_. "So where are we going?"

"Oh, sorry, back to your hotel. General Beckman will contact you there. In fact, here we are."

It only took a few minutes for Chuck and Sarah to reach their suite. Agent Marconi had accompanied them and did a quick check of all the rooms. "Are you expecting trouble up here, Agent Marconi?"

"No, Mrs. Carmichael. Guess it's just the training; always be on guard." With a small chuckle she continued, "But then you know all about that, don't you?"

"Been there, done that," Sarah replied with a smile. Despite her natural wariness, she was beginning to relax with the young Agent. She could see a lot of herself … albeit a very distant, past self … in this young agent. She felt a pang of pride for the professionalism being shown, but also a bit of sadness, hoping Agent Marconi did not become the cold, ruthless, and lonely agent she had become, before entering the world of Chuck Bartowski. "Please call me Sarah. Do you have a family Agent … uh, may I call you Angela?"

"I would be honored … Sarah. Both my parents still live in Concord, New Hampshire and I have three younger brothers. Don't get to see them much though."

"Be sure to make time. Family is important, despite what the CIA may tell you."

Angela Marconi had heard of the Carmichael's, of course, but never dreamed she would meet, let alone work, with them. But to hear the sadness in Mrs. Car … Sarah's voice was a surprise. "Well, I better go. Here is my card with all the numbers where you can reach me. I will be back in the morning, once General Beckman issues my next set of orders. Rest well, both of you."

"Good night, Angela."

Chuck had observed most of this exchange and now walked up behind his wife and enveloped her in his arms. She crossed her arms over the top of his and leaned back into his chest. Turning her head up towards his, she kissed his jawline. "Nice girl."

"Better be careful there, Miss Cold and Ruthless CIA Spy, you might be making a friend." Sarah just sighed softly and squeezed Chuck's arms tighter around her. He certainly could read her like a book. They stood there for a long time.

**Scene 68: January 30, 2013  
****4:15 pm (Cairo) / 6:15 am (PST)  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo / **_**Carmichael Industries, LA**_

Morgan tracked the helicopter to a small airport, twenty miles outside Cairo. By that time, Beckman had the CIA on station, and they took over that detail. At her request, he agreed to be her contact with Casey and _Verbanski Corp_. In reality, he had never lost track of Casey, watching the GPS as he left _Conglomérat Delta_ and moved through the streets of Cairo. Morgan dared not call, knowing it might compromise his position. Hopefully Casey would call as soon as he was in a secure location.

As he watched, a strange thing happened: Casey's signal came closer and closer to Chuck and Sarah's. He knew they were back at the hotel so he figured Casey must be moving past it. Then the signal stopped moving. _I'd better call Chuck with a heads up on this_.

"Hey, Chuck, buddy. Are you two alright?"

"Hi, Morgan. Yeah, we're fine here. Getting cleaned up and waiting on food to be delivered. What's up?" Chuck had finished cleaning up and was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Casey's GPS signal is nearby; I thought you should know."

"What!? Near here? Can you be more specific?"

"Working on it." After a pause he heard an exclamation from Morgan. "Holy...! He's on the seventeenth floor. Let me pull up the floor plan." Another long pause and then, "This is so strange. He's in room 1747. What the heck is he doing there?"

Sarah had come out of the bedroom during the second pause and stood behind Chuck with her hands on his shoulders. He had put the phone on speaker so she heard this last bit. "Morgan, can you tell if he's alone or not?"

"Oh, hi Sarah. No I can't. I just have the GPS signal to track by. You think they caught him again?"

"Well, that's possible, but why bring him here? Come on, Chuck, we need to check this out."

"Morgan, we'll get back to you." Once he hung up he turned to look up at his beautiful wife. The creases between her eyes were as deep as he had ever seen, showing confusion and concern on her lovely face. He figured her look was mirrored by his own. But was it for the same reason? "Sarah, honey, are you sure we should go down there? You've been shot and have a concussion; I have a bum knee. What if he's been captured again?"

"Sweetie, we are injured, not incapacitated ... and it's our friend down there. We have to go; it's what we came all the way to Africa to do."

"And what if it's not even him. One of Giordano's goons could have taken the vest and is using it to lure us down there."

"I doubt that. First, they don't know about the trackers. Second, they don't know we are in this hotel. If they did they would have come directly here"

Chuck could see that Sarah was in full spy mode now and it would do no good for him to argue with her. Her reasoning was sound and they couldn't leave Casey on his own again. "Okay, let's do it."

They dressed in their mission clothes once again, checked their weapons and left the room. They used the stairwell to descend the two flights. Once there, Sarah carefully opened the door and peered out; no one was in sight. They moved into the hallway, completely in sync, without the need to speak. They covered each other completely, watching all the doors and elevators. Quickly, they determined the way to room 1747 and moved there without delay. Now they weren't quite sure what to do. Should they just knock? Or kick the door in? Or maybe go out through the fire escape to enter through a window?

They heard the elevator doors open and knew they might only have moments before discovery. Sarah quickly hid her gun in the waistband of her slacks and, while keeping one hand on the pistol grip, she simply knocked on the door as Chuck hid his gun inside his jacket. They looked like a nice couple, albeit both dressed completely in black, who were waiting for a friend to answer the door. And then: that's exactly what happened. There stood Casey, a look of relief, coupled with a bit of puzzlement, on his face.

"Get in here you two! You are a sight for sore eyes. Walker, you okay?"

Sarah nodded and then, once inside the room, reached up and embraced Casey. It was only the second time they had hugged, the first being at Chuck and Sarah's wedding. It was still awkward, but there was a warmth there as well. She pulled back, leaving a hand on his shoulder and asked, "How about you? You've been gone a long time."

"Ungh. I'm fine … a little beat up at the moment. Nice to see you, too, Bartowski."

Chuck just grinned back at him and said, "We're so sorry we didn't rescue Gertrude as well."

Looking from one to the other he whispered, "Thanks for coming … we'll get her back!" Then, after a pause, Casey pulled himself back into agent mode: "I know Morgan was tracking me but how did you get here so fast?"

"Uh, actually, we have a suite on nineteen. Morgan realized, from the GPS signals, that we were all here together. He even determined your room number."

Under his breath Casey mumbled, "Nice job, moron." An accompanying smile … well, a smile by Casey's standards anyway … broke out, too. He continued to whisper: "Listen, one of the guards is here with me. Claims to be NSA. We can't let him know about you until we can confirm his story. Name's Draimon Walters. Claims he's been working undercover with the Raage's."

"Where is he now?"

"In the shower. We need to talk."

"Agreed. We're in the _Pharoah's Suite_ on nineteen. Do you think you can get away and not arouse his suspicion?"

"I don't know. But I need to get us moved out of this room anyway; this is where they put us. Don't want them coming back and finding me again."

"Let us call General Beckman and have her get separate rooms for you two. Then we'll check him out … see if he's in the Intersect … and hopefully confirm his real identity."

"Good idea, Chuck. We'll go back upstairs and call you when things are set. Do you have luggage?"

"All the equipment we brought with us is here except what we lost today at _DeltaCon_."

They heard the water shut off in the bathroom so Chuck and Sarah hurried out the door and Casey went back to the sitting room. As great as it was to see them both again, it worried him to see them both injured and now, with a possible double agent in their midst. _Damn! I wish Gertrude was here._

**Scene 69: January 30, 2013  
****Earlier: 12:07 pm  
**_**Conglomérat Delta**_

As the elevator at _Conglomérat Delta_ ascended, Gertrude Verbanski found herself on the floor, staring at Mr. A, his eyes blank, and head at a sickening angle to the rest of his body. She didn't know what had happened but it was obvious the Bartowski's had struck with deadly force. She rolled onto her back and looked up at the man standing beside her. Despite the blood running from a huge cut over his right eye she knew it was Giordano.

When he felt the movement at his feet, Giordano looked down at Verbanski. "Well, Ms. Verbanski, it seems we have encountered a temporary setback here. But there are contingencies. Too bad your friend, Mr. Casey, won't be able to accompany us further. I do hope his demise was painful."

If she didn't hurt from head to toe she would have wiped the smirk off his face, and replaced it with more bruising and blood. As it was, she wasn't even sure she could stand on her own, so she just shut her eyes and hoped that Casey had survived. _He wouldn't leave me now, would he?_

"Get up!" Giordano kicked Verbanski as the elevator stopped. When she didn't respond he reached down, grabbed her hair, and began pulling her up. She lashed out with a fist but had no leverage behind it. He smacked her on the side of the head with his gun and she saw stars for the third time. As the door opened he released her hair, reached around her upper body and half lifted, half pulled her out of the elevator and down a short hallway to a door. He again stopped, lifted her enough to stand against the wall and then threw her over his shoulder. With this extra weight, he staggered through the door and up a short flight of stairs. Once through the door and out onto the roof, he threw her down while bracing himself and gasping for air. "I am too old for this," he gasped out loud.

They were only there a few minutes when they heard the helicopter approaching. Once again he pulled Verbanski half way up and began dragging her towards the helicopter, now with it's door open. As he shoved her in the door a couple of shots clanged off the side of the chopper. He jumped inside, ducked into a seat, and looked out, just as the chopper lifted off. In amazement, he saw Casey, still shooting at them. A smile came to his lips as the helicopter lifted away and out of range of his shots.

Verbanski was now fully conscious. She tried to make sense of what was happening. She remembered being in the meeting when … _hmmmm_ … she couldn't quite remember. _Oh … there was an explosion from behind me and ... well, that's about it._ There were just brief moments: being picked up and carried, then hearing shouts and being dropped, then Giordano and her in the elevator going up. _How did I get down in order to go back up? What happened to Casey? And Chuck and Sarah? Too many questions; no answers. Damn … I hate that!_

She lost track of how long they were in the air but realized they were landing. She lifted her head to look out. "Well, well. Back with us, are you? Good. You can walk."

Finally focusing on his face, close to hers, she spat in Giordano's face. "Go to hell," she croaked out, her voice not wanting to work.

CRASH! Her head exploded in pain as he slapped her. "Bitch! I am not completely convinced we still need you, so you better try behaving a little better. Now get up. Try anything and I will shoot you right here."

Fighting through the dizziness, she stood, climbed out of the helicopter, and followed Giordano and another man across the tarmac to a waiting jet. Once inside, the other man shoved her into a seat, fastened the seatbelt, and then secured her hands with a zip strip. They were in the air within minutes.

**Scene 70: January 30, 2013  
****4:50 pm  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo**

Once out of the room, Chuck started to speak, but Sarah cut him off with a whisper: "Not here, sweetie. Never know whose ears are out and about."

"Oh, yeah, right. Sorry. I'm just not thinking clearly."

Just as they arrived at the elevators and were reaching for the call button, the doors began to open. Sarah grabbed Chuck and planted a searing kiss on him, catching him completely by surprise. But it didn't take long for him to begin to respond.

An older couple got off the elevator. As they passed, the man said to his wife, "We used to be like that." He sighed and then continued, "Sure miss being young."

The woman punched him on the shoulder, "Those were the days, James." And they walked on to their room.

Chuck and Sarah broke apart, a bit out of breath, and looked lovingly at each other. Once in the elevator Chuck said, "Well, we haven't done anything quite that spontaneous in a long time. Kind of miss that. I sure hope we never get so old we stop, like that couple."

Caressing his cheek, Sarah smiled, "Me, too, honey, me, too!"

Once back in their suite Sarah put in the call to Beckman while Chuck went to the bathroom to get aspirin for them both. Beckman was just coming on the screen as he returned. Sarah took her medicine with water as Chuck began filling the General in on what they had discovered.

General Beckman muted the screen and appeared to be talking to someone off screen. When she turned the sound back on she informed them that contact was being made with the hotel and two rooms would be procured for Casey and Walters. "The front desk will call you when everything is set."

Pressing another button, a picture and profile of Walters appeared on the screen. "As you can see, there is very little available. Most has been redacted. I have not heard of him but will check with the various Directors at the CIA to see what I can find out. I will send any additional information to you by way of Agent Marconi. Sarah, if you don't mind, I would like you to take her under your wing while you're there. She is fresh out of the Farm and shows great promise, as you once did."

"It will be my pleasure, Diane. We will let you know if we find out anything on this end. Any news about Gertrude yet?"

"The jet headed south and it appears they are headed back to Nbora Airport. Unfortunately, with Agent Brownfield dead, we don't have eyes there at the moment. We will continue to monitor the flight and let you know of any developments. Thank you Bartowski's!"

As soon as the screen went blank Chuck exploded! "Damn! Sarah, Walters is not what he says he is! I flashed: he quit the CIA, transferred to the NSA and then went undercover two years ago. He's been dark ever since, but has been implicated in two hijackings and three mass murders in Somalia. Beckman's the head of NSA; why wouldn't she know that?"

Chuck was talking so fast Sarah almost didn't catch it all. "Chuck, slow down. Tell me exactly what you saw."

The flash had been so fast, and yet so full of detail, it took Chuck quite awhile to sort it all out. _Wow, this new Intersect is way superior to any of the other versions._ He decided he had to write it all down, and develop a flow chart in order to organize it all, so he could show Sarah everything.

They were just finishing when Beckman came back online. "Alright you two, I have the rooms for Casey. But there's something you should know. Sarah, do you ever recall meeting, or hearing of, Walters? No? Well, it seems he was the CIA's shining star a few years ago. Came up through the ranks faster than anyone else, handled a couple of important missions in spectacular fashion, and was slated to get all the plum assignments."

"Diane, how could he be this good and I've never heard of him?"

"That's not the important thing here. As I was saying, he was the golden boy until one day a new agent appeared on the scene. A one, Sarah Walker; Graham's wonder girl. Broke all his training records, seemed to accomplish the impossible, and generally set the CIA on it's ear. There had never been an agent like her. Suddenly Walters was on the back burner and not happy about it. So he transferred to the NSA and went into the long term undercover program. He was assigned to a mission in Africa where he immediately and completely disappeared. He has never been heard of since."

Chuck was smiling his 'I'm so proud of Sarah' smile as Beckman talked about her, but it quickly turned to dismay as the implication became clear. Walters had so resented Sarah he left the CIA, went undercover, and then rogue. "General, this coincides with my flash except the Intersect shows that he has popped up from time to time, mostly working for the Somali's, including masterminding several horrific raids."

He paused for a moment to let that sink in, before continuing, "Also, try this name: D. Walter Prill."

With that name, both woman's eyes widened in recognition. This was a name that was very familiar to anyone who had studied the CIA. Whether either name was real or aliases, neither knew. They just knew he had been good … very, very good … until he disappeared completely.

"That is shocking news, Chuck. I will look into how he has been able to change, redact, and expunge so much information from our records. In the meantime, I want you two to go arrest him immediately. Agent Marconi, Casey and you two then need to interrogate him, and find out what is going on over there."

"Are you sure this is all accurate?"

"It appears so, Sarah. The Intersect seems to support ... even add to ... the intel. Get him secured and find out more."

As they ended their conference with General Beckman, Sarah's phone buzzed. It was Casey: "Walker. Get back down here ... asap!"


	18. Friends, Enemies, and Truth Serum

A/N: Happy Chuckiversary everyone. It's been a long, hard year for many, first to accept that the show is over, and second, to live with what they did to Sarah (and Chuck). But thankfully we have all the wonderful, creative writers offering all the fanfic found here. Thank you to everyone who has written, read, reviewed, discussed, debated and thoroughly enjoyed the universe that is _CHUCK!_

All the usual disclaimers go here. Thanks to everyone who is reading, and especially to those who have had so many great comments. They have been the encouragement for the continuation of this tale. Enjoy.

**XVIII. Friends, Enemies, and Truth Serum**

**Scene 71: January 30, 2012  
****4:40 pm  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo**

Draimon Walters was ready to step into the shower when his phone vibrated. Letting the water continue to run, he pulled out the phone and entered a code. It only took a moment for both the hallway outside the room, and the inside of the room door, to appear on a split screen view. In the hallway was a couple dressed all in black, knocking on the door. He continued to watch as Casey opened the door and motioned for the couple to enter. Once inside, the blonde woman embraced Casey, and it was obvious the trio knew each other well.

The woman turned and her face aimed directly towards the camera. Walter's mouth dropped open as he realized who it was: Sarah Walker! He had not seen her in several years but she was as beautiful as he remembered … maybe even more so. He doubted that she would remember him, but he certainly remembered her … and her record … and what she had done to him. She had been the object of his disturbed mind every day since that bastard Graham, brought her in and replaced him.

He wanted to rush out and punch and kick her into unconsciousness, and then keep on punching her until her body was a lifeless blob. His hand was hurting and he looked down to see that he was gripping the phone so hard it was causing a cramp. But he didn't think he could overcome both her and Casey. _Who is the other man? Is he CIA, too? He must be, to be with Walker._ In the time he was around, she had been completely singleminded about her work, and was never distracted by the men around her, despite the many attempts to conquer the blonde bombshell. No use showing his hand yet, he decided.

He shut the shower off and it appeared to signal them to leave. Watching from the hall camera he saw the couple walk away until they turned a corner and out of sight.

He returned to the shower, but could not shake the desire to go after Walker. As the water washed across his body, he tried several scenarios but he knew he had to get rid of Casey first. Then, moving to his bedroom, he dressed, while considering those options. Once finished, he carefully opened the door to see what Casey was doing. Seeing him standing at the balcony door, looking out, Walters silently moved into the main room while bringing his small calibre ankle gun up to ready. "Mr. Casey, please turn around … slowly."

Casey heard Walters moving into the room and watched his reflection in the mirror to his right; he was not really surprised. What Walters could not see was the dinner plate Casey held in his left hand. Hoping Walters was not the quick shot Mr. B had been, he turned slowly to his right, about a quarter turn, away from Walters. Then he pivoted swiftly, slinging the plate, frisbee-style, while dropping into a kneel. Walters had only enough time to see the plate and groan inwardly. As it struck him directly in the throat, he tried to fire his gun, but the shot went wildly to the left, into the wall.

The next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair with a sheet. His throat and left cheek hurt like a truck had hit him. Opening his eyes, he saw Casey standing over him with a smirk on his lips, rubbing his right knuckles. "Well, well, well. Come back to the living, have we? Sure hope I didn't break anything inside, 'Mr. D', 'cause I sure do want to hear you sing."

"G, g, … go to … hell," he croaked out, his vocal cords not wanting to work correctly.

There was a knock on the door and Casey moved away to open the door. Walters tried to shake loose but knew Casey would not have left an opening for him. He snarled as Walker and the other man walked into the room. It was Walker who moved closer, leaned down to him and said, "So, Draimon Walters, you think you know me? You think I am responsible for your lot in life?"

So she did know him. But how? He spat in her face, but instead of riling her, it was the unknown man that responded. Despite a slight limp, the man moved forward in a blink, and punched him right in the face, causing the chair to tip over backwards.

"Chuck, easy. It's okay. You don't have to defend me."

"No one," the man she called 'Chuck' looked at him and pointed, "No! One! … does that to you, Sarah."

"Wow, Bar… Carm … Chuck. That was impressive. So, you two seem to know a lot more about our Mr. D here. So what do we do now?" Casey was dismayed that he had almost blown Chuck's cover.

"Beckman is sending an agent over and we are to interrogate him. Are you up for that Casey?"

"Ungh! You have to ask me that, Walker?" Casey's smile was genuinely excited.

Both Sarah and Chuck chuckled at his response. "Excuse me, gentlemen, while I go clean up a bit."

Sarah moved off to the bathroom while Casey and Chuck moved over to lift Walters' chair back upright. He had struck his head pretty hard and seemed woozy, in addition to the blood coming from his nose. "How about a drink, Chuck? Or something to eat?"

"A drink sounds really good. Once Sarah comes back why don't you go clean up and change clothes. We have a new room for you once Agent Marconi arrives."

"Where are they taking him?" Casey jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Walters.

"Agent Marconi will let us know. She's getting instructions from Beckman and her station chief."

Just as Sarah returned, there was another knock on the door, which proved to be Agent Marconi and two other agents. Introductions were made and she filled them in on Beckman's instructions. The three agents would move Walters to a CIA safe house that included a detention/interrogation cell. They would stay with him until the three of them could come in the morning for the interrogation.

"Can't we get on it sooner? We need to get Gertrude back as soon as possible."

"Mr. Casey, you are welcome to talk to him at any time. You just let me know when you want a car to pick you up here. However, I would suggest you all get something to eat, treat your wounds, and then call me. Agent Wa … Sarah … has my numbers."

"Thanks, Angela." Sarah looked at a speechless Casey and smirked at him, good-naturedly. She hadn't seen anyone stand up to him like that since ... well, since she had met him that night, long ago, on top of that LA skyscraper. She patted him on the arm and whispered, with a laugh: "Good teddy bear."

"Ungh!" _If it was anyone else, Walker, I'd … oh, hell! _

The other agents had brought a laundry cart with them and unceremoniously dumped Walters inside to take him down to their vehicle. A few minutes later a bellhop arrived to move Casey's gear, and they all accompanied him up one floor to room 1898. It was pretty much like the previous room minus the bullet hole in the wall and blood on the carpet.

Chuck and Sarah snuggled on the sofa while Casey showered, falling asleep within minutes. They awoke with Casey banging around in one of his equipment bags. "Ungh. Sure didn't miss all that lovey-dovey stuff. You two ever going to run out of energy?"

"Come on, Casey. You know how love is … bet you and Verbanski have been keeping the fires burning, too." Chuck and Sarah both laughed as Casey shook his head. _Actually, it sure is good to see these two kids, together and happy._

They left to go upstairs to the _Pharoah's Suite_, the easy banter of good friends bringing smiles to all.

**Scene 72: January 30, 2012  
****9:00 pm (Cairo)  
****Nbora Airport, Swinbitia**

It was 2100 hours when the jet landed and Gertrude realized they were once again back at Nbora Airport. As they taxied across the tarmac she could see that one of the hangars had burned to the ground. Then she remembered: that was the hangar where Casey saw Sarah. _Was that only two days ago? _A smile came across her face as she figured the Bartowski's must have instigated whatever happened there.

The jet moved inside another hangar and the engines spooled down. Once stopped, her guard removed the seatbelt and pulled her to her feet. Shoving her down the aisle, he paid no attention to her wounds or the difficulty she was having balancing with her hands tied together. She stumbled, and almost fell down the stairs leading to the hangar floor. No one made a move to help her, and it appeared that the easy going, cooperative attitude of her captors had ended.

Taking her right arm, the escort pulled her along to a room at the back. Once inside, she was roughly shoved into a chair where more zip strips were used to fasten her legs to the legs of the chair. He cut her hands loose only long enough to move them behind the back of the chair, then retying them, first to each other, and then to the chair itself. It was extremely uncomfortable and she knew she wasn't going anywhere this time.

Montez entered the room, his all too familiar sneer present once again. Why wasn't she surprised to see him here now? _Where was he when all the action was going down at _DeltaCon_? Bet he was off, cowering somewhere._

"Well, well, well. Ms. Verbanski. Seems your friend didn't think enough of you to grab you when he escaped."

"B-M-O-C, now that I'm all tied up here, aren't you? You didn't seem to be able to save many of your friends either. Did they even let you go, or are you just too big a sissy?"

He moved quickly across the room and slapped Verbanski across the face. "You women! Think you have all the answers … tough guys … going to take over the world. Well, you don't seem to be in a position to antagonize me now. This time we're going to play by my rules!" He punctuated his statement with another slap, one that brought blood to her lower lip.

"We have so many loyal politicians, officers and soldiers that you have no chance of ever stopping us. It is almost amusing to watch you try."

"Blah, blah, blah. To quote my … friend, as you put it … just do what you're going to do and stop jabbering about it. You bore me." She could feel her left eye starting to swell closed but she was still able to glare menacingly enough to make him back up. _Bloody coward._

Giordano entered, ending this exchange. "So … woman … what will be your peoples' response now?" He was sporting stitches and a huge welt on the left side of his face, and there was dried blood on his shirt collar. He was also walking with a limp. Verbanski had a vague recollection of watching from the elevator floor as a whirling collection of arms and legs took out both him and Raage. But then someone had kicked her in the head and she again lost consciousness.

"Very simple: my forces will track you down and eliminate all of you."

"And just how will they find us?"

"I'm not giving away my trade secrets. But you are a bigger fool than I thought, if you think you will even see them coming."

"Who were those people at _Conglomérat Delta_? There is no way that was Dumante and Bergeron."

"I have no idea. You're the one that set up the meeting. Didn't I hear you say you had set up the Frenchies? Those were probably CIA operatives. They've broken your buddies by now … if there were any left alive."

Giordano let out a half growl, half grunt that would have made Casey proud, then turned on his heel and limped out of the room.

"You get out, too, Montez. I don't want to listen to your drivel."

"I'll be back, Verbanski. We aren't through."

Gertrude could only sigh once they were both gone and hope Casey truly was tracking her with a team from _Verbanski Corp_.

**Scene 73: January 30, 2013  
****7:30 pm  
**_**Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis**__** Hotel, **_**Cairo**

The three friends enjoyed a simple meal and used the time to catch up. Casey filled them in on what had happened since being kidnapped. It was an amazing tale that left Chuck and Sarah as confused as Casey and Verbanski had been. The whole scenario just didn't make any sense. Casey wanted to know how things were going with Alex, _Carmichael Industries_, and, of course, Chuck and Sarah. From just listening to the easy banter, it would have been impossible to know these three had been through hell in the past 24 hours.

"As nice as all this is, let's get going. It's my turn to interrogate that bastard."

"Casey, are you sure you don't want to rest and heal a bit tonight? We can hit it hard in the morning."

"No, Bartowski, I don't. They still have Gertrude and it's my duty to get her back. Come on, or I'll just go by myself."

"Calm down, Casey. We know how you feel, and are with you all the way. We're just concerned … for you both."

"I know ... Sarah. And thank you."

Sarah called Agent Marconi and a car picked them up twenty minutes later. After a fifty minute drive that was convoluted, to say the least, and made Casey madder and madder as the minutes ticked away, they arrived at an unassuming building in a warehouse district.

Angela Marconi was waiting at the door as they walked the short distance from the car. "Sorry about the route and time but we don't want anyone following you here."

"Ungh. Where is he?"

"I'm sorry, Angela. Casey is a bit singleminded when it comes to interrogations. Chuck, Angela, is there somewhere you can wait while Casey and I talk to our … uh, guest?"

"Sarah, I want to…." Chuck stopped as Sarah glared at him. He knew that look and knew better than to argue with her right now.

"I would like to observe, Sarah. I could learn so much from watching you two work."

"Angela, as much as I appreciate that, it is important for Casey and me to, uh ... do this our way. I hope you understand." Turning to Chuck she placed her right hand on his left cheek, "Chuck, honey, it appears he knows nothing about you and we need to keep it that way. Why don't you contact Morgan to see if there's any news on Gertrude?"

Her touch ignited a spark and rush of warmth, running from Sarah's hand, down through his entire body. But it was tempered by the chill he got from the hard set of her eyes. She gently stroked his cheek before turning away. He stood, watching, as she walked down the hall and turned out of sight.

"Mr. Bartowski … excuse me … we can wait in the kitchenette." He finally turned, slowly, and followed Angela into the next room.

**Scene 74: January 30, 2013  
****9:20 pm  
****CIA Safe House**

"Mr. Bartowski…." Chuck could tell from her tone that Agent Marconi was angry and he knew Sarah had deliberately sent him to calm her down.

"Chuck, Angela … please call me Chuck."

"Alright … Chuck. I'm a fully accredited agent. Why won't she let me watch the interrogation? General Beckman told me she asked her to 'take me under her wing'. I could learn a lot. And it wouldn't be my first time."

"Angela: Sarah and Casey have their own … unique, shall we say … methods. Sarah really likes you and I think she may be afraid this could taint your opinion of her, as well as take you to a dark place in your life as an agent. She would like for you to stick to your training."

"But she is the best. I want … I need … to learn from her." There was still anger in her tone but it was beginning to temper.

"I know you feel that way, but there is another side to this spy life: a dark and lonely side. I can't really give you the kind of details you want, but when you talk to her, I know Sarah will give you a better idea of how she feels about this life now, as compared to a few, short years ago. Trust me … she is not the same person as when she was Graham's lone wolf."

"How did you two beat the odds and become a couple ... against everything the CIA teaches?"

"Now that is a story that will take far longer, even leaving out all the classified parts, to tell, than for them to break poor Walters. He will never know what hit him. In fact, he may already be begging to tell his story. So I'll just give you the CliffsNotes version."

Angela Marconi's eyes widened as Chuck talked, and remained so through the entire, amazing story.

**Scene 75: January 31, 2013  
****12:01 am  
****Nbora Airport, Swinbitia**

Despite the discomfort of being lashed to a chair, Gertrude dozed … fitfully. When the door slammed open she awoke with a start, and then grimaced as pain shot through her neck. _Damn, all I need now is a stiff neck._

Giordano was standing before her now. "We will be moving soon, woman. Give me a reason to take you with us."

"As long as you have me with you, my operatives won't come in, all barrels blazing. They will be cautious so as not to injure or kill me. But," she shrugged, "you ARE going to die anyway."

"Hah! In your dreams, woman. What about the CIA? Will they be looking for you now that Casey is no longer here?" He waited a moment before continuing, "Doesn't really matter anyway. A guard will be in to get you…."

_Great! Even if they tracked the jet here, now what? Chuck and Sarah found us here before ... somehow. Then we met again in Cairo. But how … how did they know? Or did they? And do they have the manpower to come get me? Lots of questions, but not many answers. A bad pattern with this mission._

"...your friends do come looking for you. Well?"

"Oh sorry. Dozed off there with all your blabbering. What was the question? Oh, yeah, the CIA. Have no idea really. But they found us once, so I would expect there's a team prepping to come after me as we speak. Casey will be coming, too!" She smirked with that last statement. Giordano just turned and walked out.

About an hour later she heard the sound of a helicopter. _Now what?_ As she heard it powering down, two guards entered the room, one with a knife and one with an AK-47. As the one with the knife approached, she began calculating what she could do if he attacked, and her odds of survival: _Nothing and zero!_

Waving the knife menacingly, he moved behind her and began to slide the flat part of the blade along the side of her head, down to her ear, and then past, down along her neck. She dared not move. She had been beaten and tortured before, but this was the first time she was doubtful of her survival.

She felt the sharp edge begin to push on her skin when suddenly the door burst open and a shot rang out. Gertrude felt a spray of warm liquid and heard a crash behind her as the dead guard was thrown back and away from her. Opening her eyes, she never thought she would be glad to see Montez standing in the door, holding a Desert Eagle.

"I guess I should say thank you."

"Yes, Ms. Verbanski, you should. If it were up to me I wouldn't have saved you. But I can't let you die on my watch." Montez walked over to her and picked up the knife. He used it to cut her bindings off, and then said, "Now, go clean yourself up. We leave in ten minutes. Please be a good girl and come peacefully."

"Where are we going."

"Boosaaso, Somalia. We are riding in luxury tonight. This is a Bell 429 and we will be in the air just over two hours. You should get some sleep while in the air. I must tie you in, but will do so to afford the most comfortable position for you."

"Gee, thanks, Montez. I'll be sure to send you a thank you note."

**Scene 76: January 30, 2013  
****9:00 pm  
****CIA Safe House**

"Well, well, well. Seems the shoe is on the other foot, Mr. D. You're going to learn a lot about interrogation techniques tonight."

"Hahahaha. You two," Walters spit out with a smirk. "You won't do anything to me here. I know you too well, and I know how the CIA operates. All rules … no guts!"

"Sarah, look, he's a smirker!" Turning back to Walters, in a whisper: "She just loves smirkers! Do you know smirkers make her all crazy? All ninja crazy!" His voice returned to normal level, but with a bit of mirth present: "Do you also know she once shot her own father?"

"Ah, come on Casey, you flatter me. Walters, did you know Casey out fought, arrested, and locked away forever, his own Sensai?"

"But wait … it gets better … our Agent Walker here actually kidnapped a Thai diplomat from his own embassy and stuck a syringe full of ammonia in his neck before he talked. Oh yeah: he was a smirker, too!"

As she pulled a bottle of ammonia and a huge syringe out of her bag, Sarah continued, "And then there was the time, Casey, when you killed your own NSA recruiter/mentor."

"Fun times, to be sure! Oh, and last but not least, Mr. D, have you heard of the Giant Blonde She-Male, who fought her way through most of Thailand, leaving a trail of broken bodies?" Now it was Casey and Sarah's turn to smirk at their captive.

Up until Casey mentioned the GBSM of Thailand, Walters had sat quietly, watching them both, a look of amusement on his face. But when it dawned on him that Walker was the Giant Blonde She-Male, the blood drained from his face and his eyes changed from defiant to fearful. He looked her in the eyes … her cold, hard, spy eyes … as she plunged the syringe into the bottle.

"Anyway, these little vignettes are just to see how much you really know. What do you think? Got us all figured out, do you? Still think we are just old softies you can manipulate?"

After a pause, with no response from Walters, Casey continued: "So what's it going to be? Talk or die … slowly and painfully?"

"Casey, don't sugarcoat it! Tell him how it's really going to be." As the two agents high-fived and chuckled, Walters' lowered his head, shaking it side to side.

"Do what you must. But you won't get anything out of me."

"Have it your way." Sarah opened the bag again and took out a small vial filled with an orange liquid. "Casey, let's step outside."

"Wait ... wait. What is that?"

"This? Just a little truth serum we picked up on a mission a few years ago. It's a toxic derivative of sodium pentathol, mixed with a little curare. Do you know what that means? We do have the antidote, but it's pretty unpredictable how quickly the serum will destroy your central nervous system."

They turned and walked out into the hallway, shut the transparent door, and pressed a button that sealed and locked it. Sarah opened a small window in the wall and said, "Last chance, Walters." Not waiting for an answer, she reached through the window, dropped the vial, and quickly closed and sealed the window. As it struck the floor, the vial shattered; the fumes from the liquid visibly dispersed through the room.

"Ungh. I wonder if he'll try to hold his breath?"

"You can't do this to me! It's illegal! Let me out of here…." Walters had begun screaming at them but his voice became softer and the words more drawn out. His head was beginning to loll around a bit and his eyes became unfocused.

"Well, that was fast," Sarah said, looking at Casey a little surprised.

"After we procured this serum I had the NSA labs work on it a bit. I knew you had resisted the truth drugs, so I was afraid others could, too. We added a little something, more concentrated, and made it faster acting. First time I've gotten to use it though. Ungh! Have to let the lab boys know they did good!"

A few minutes later a sensor beeped and the red light over the door turned green. "Come on Casey, it's safe for us to go back in now."

Opening the door, Sarah walked up to Walters and took his chin in her hand. Lifting his head to look at him she said, "Now, Mr. Walters, tell us all you know about this whole plan."

Walters smiled up at her, moaning slightly: "You're still the prettiest spy I've ever seen. Too bad you're also the coldest."

"You have no idea, Walters. Now. Spill." As she finished saying this she gently patted his cheek and whispered in a sing-song voice: "I'm losing my patience."

"Ungh! Better tell her what she wants to know. You don't have enough fingers and toes to count the ways she can make you suffer."

"Easy, easy … plan's simple … those idiots … Giordano thinks this is all his idea … couldn't fart without an assistant … kidnap Verbanski … you send in people to find her, get distracted … all my idea … brilliant, as always … we kill a few people, but not her." He tried to control himself, but the more he resisted the more he talked. "Get pictures of her ... helping steal weapons for Somali's … looks like she's gone rogue … CIA didn't know what it lost when put me out to pasture … you're fault, you know … Graham's wonder child … she realizes this and has to agree to help us … we tip off CIA … Dumante gets arrested … we go to _Conglomérat Delta_ ... find location of weapons cache … steal all the weapons … and all the old soviet nuuuuuukessssss…."


	19. Short Tempers

A/N: This is not a chapter full of excitement, but rather one where all the sleeplessness and frustration rears its ugly head. Hope you don't mind a little down time to take a look at all that is going on within the individual characters.

Don't own anything except a signed poster and 5 DVD's. Please don't sue me because I just want to keep sharing in the lives of these characters. I certainly don't make anything by doing this except the fun and joy.

Enjoy!

**XIX. Short Tempers**

**Scene 77: January 30, 31, 2013  
****2:06 pm (PST)  
****Echo Park**

"Mr. Grimes, using the video feeds you provided us, we have determined that a helicopter took off from Nbora Airport. Two men and a woman were aboard. We are seventy-five percent sure it was Ms. Verbanski. Do you have any way to confirm this and/or find out their destination?"

It was the first time General Beckman had called Morgan at home and he was thrilled; hopefully it meant she was finally, fully accepting him as a team member. "I am at home, General. Let me get back to _CI_ to see what I can find. I'll call you in an hour."

"Very well, Grimes. Sooner would be better." And with that she quickly signed off.

Despite the facilities at _CI_, Morgan had gone home after hearing back from Chuck that they had found Casey. He wanted a shower and a nap in his very own bed. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten, so he grabbed a tub of leftovers from the refrigerator and hurried out to the car. Chuckling to himself, he revved up the Prius: _Just wait 'til Sarah gets my overtime bill for this month_. Eating while he drove he only swerved into the oncoming lane a couple of times and managed to arrive without incident.

He used the satellite uplink to search the security tapes of Nbora Airport, finding the departing helicopter and getting the numbers of the aircraft. Next he called the tower and inquired as to the recent departure of a helicopter. They were being uncooperative until he mentioned Roble Finonni and Ambassador Giordano. Their tune changed at the mention of those names and told him the flight plan took them to Boosaaso, Somalia.

Just as he was about to call Beckman, Chuck's face appeared on the screen. "Hey, buddy. How are you guys doing over there? How's Casey?"

"Hi Morgan. I was just calling to see if you were in yet; I know it's been pretty crazy these past couple of days. I expect it's going to stay that way, so you better lay in supplies and keep alert. Oh, and Casey is doing fine. Banged up, but okay. He and Sarah are doing an interrogation so … hang on a sec…." About a minute later he came back online: "Morgan I've got to contact the General so I'll get back to you."

"Hey, hey, hey! Chuck! Wait a sec … if you are calling Beckman tell her I found out the helicopter is flying to Boosaaso, Somalia."

"What helicopter, Morgan?"

"Uh, the one Beckman thinks has Gertrude Verbanski on board. Left Nbora Airport about an hour ago."

"Okay, thanks! I'll let her know. You're doing a great job back there, buddy. Bye!"

"Man, he's getting to be just like Beckman, cutting me off like that. Oh well ... guess we're in for another long night." He grabbed his phone to call Alex. Hopefully she could come back and bring more food.

**Scene 78: January 31, 2013  
****12:00 am (Cairo)  
****CIA Safe House**

**Earlier….**

Walters was furious with himself: it was diarrhea of the mouth and he couldn't stop it. It all came out amongst grimaces, groans and rolling around of his head. The last few words had become more and more slurred, and finally, his voice trailed off to nothing as his eyes rolled up into his head and he slumped against his bindings. Sarah quickly felt for, and found, a very weak pulse, while Casey grabbed a syringe filled with green liquid from her bag. "Sure hope we didn't wait too long to give him this antidote. I've still got more questions for the bastard. Guess we need to work on predicting how long they can stand up to the poison."

Walters was breathing on his own but remained unconscious. "We better get a medical team in here. I'll go ask Angela to make the call."

"Ungh. Sarah … did you hear the same thing I heard there at the end? Nukes? They know where to find nukes?"

"Yeah, Casey, that's what I heard, too; and plural: nukes. I'll get Chuck to call Beckman." With that, she raced out of the room, while Casey undid the bindings on Walters long enough to move him to the table. There, he once again bound him, while continuing to monitor his pulse until the two medical assistants entered.

_This is going to be a long night_.

**A little later….**

"Hello Bartowski's. What have you found out?"

"General: we have some news. I'll let Sarah tell you."

"Diane, this is far worse than we thought. The plan was: while at _Conglomérat Delta_ Giordano and company would find out the location of a huge weapons cache and send a team out to steal it all. But that's not the worst of it: apparently there are old Soviet nuclear weapons stored in the same location."

As she made this last statement, both Chuck and Angela's mouths dropped open and General Beckman uttered a vulgarity beyond anything either agent had ever heard her use.

"Sarah, how authentic to do you think this information is?"

"We have not authenticated any of it; we wanted to get the information to you asap. But, having been under the influence of a milder version of the drug we used, I would say we can take everything he says to the bank. What do you want us to do now?"

"This will have to go to the Joint Chiefs and the President. I will start that process and you try to find out more from the prisoner. Do not take any action without my knowledge. Do you understand?"

"Oh, and General," Chuck leaned into the view screen: "Morgan asked me to tell you the helicopter from Nbora is headed to Boosaaso, Somalia. "

"Good. Contact Mr. Grimes to see if he has more information. There are _Verbanski Corp_ teams on the way to your location. I have to go. Thank you both, and good luck."

"Sarah … Sarah … oh my God! Nukes? What are we going to do?" As the General signed off, Chuck put a hand on Sarah's arm, and they turned to face each other. Grasping hands, he moved his thumbs in frantic circles around the back of her hands. Angela had not moved except to bring her hands up to her mouth, abject fear showing on her face.

In a whisper, while squeezing his hands, Sarah replied, "Don't freak out, honey. We have to remain calm, break Walters completely, and then we go get the bastards before they do something catastrophic. We have to be spies again … the best we've ever been."

Seeing and feeling Chuck calming down, she couldn't help but feel pride in how quickly he had turned on his spy mode. She knew it still wasn't natural for him and she understood the effort it was taking for him to stop spiraling. Turning, Sarah then spoke to Agent Marconi: "Angela, fall back on your training. You know this region and we have to depend on you."

With these words, Sarah watched as she straighten her shoulders, put on her spy face, too, and nodded at her new friends. "I'm ready," was all she could say.

"What did Beckman say," Casey asked as he entered the room.

"She is calling the Joint Chiefs and the President. We have to break Walters down further and then sit tight. Oh, and _VCorp_ has mobilized a couple of teams. Apparently Morgan has more information on that front."

"Call him; then I've got to move out."

"Casey … no. We've all been up almost 24 hours, been through an explosion, capture and hand-to-hand combat. Sarah's been shot, my knee has given out, Gertrude is gone again, and you have enough contusions to keep a bandage company in business. You and Sarah taught me to always think about food and rest."

"Chuck's right, Casey. We need to take care of ourselves before we can rescue Gertrude. Morgan is working on her location and the teams won't be here for awhile."

"Ungh!" Casey raised his hand, pointing his index finger, and started to speak, and then stopped. His face remained fierce and angry … _very Casey-like_ ... but Sarah could read his body language and knew that the adrenaline was finally wearing off.

She walked up to him and placed a hand on his outstretched arm, gently pushing it back down. Softly she spoke: "I know, Casey, I know." The look they exchanged spoke volumes as Casey allowed his body to sag and finally sit down. He thought about all the times he had been the voice of reason for both Sarah and Chuck through the years. Now it was their turn to support him.

"Chuck, call Morgan back and get whatever intel he has. Angela, we need food; can you arrange that? Then we will need sleeping quarters. John, you contact _VCorp_ for the status of those teams, and I will check on Walters." Sarah was definitely taking charge and Chuck couldn't help but smile at his no-nonsense spy girl.

**Scene 79: January 30, 2013  
****2:00 am Cairo / 4:00 pm (PST)  
****CIA Safe House / Carmichael Industries**

"Chuck, this is really out of control and I think you and Sarah need to bow out, now that _VCorp,_ and probably a Seal Team or two, are in the picture." Morgan had been ranting for a couple of minutes and Chuck was too tired to stop him.

Finally, when Morgan stopped to take a breath Chuck jumped in, "Buddy, buddy, I know … I don't totally disagree. But we're already here and can act faster than anyone else."

"So, tell me, when was the last time you ate? Or slept? You're both injured and…."

"Morgan, while I appreciate all this, food is coming and then we are headed to bed. But right now, we need whatever intel you have."

"Fine, fine, fine." Morgan took a deep breath and continued, "We think Gertrude was taken to Boosaaso, Somalia by helicopter. The local CIA operative is trying to confirm and track her there. _VCorp_ has a twenty man team headed to _Quwaysina Airport_ outside Cairo to await Casey. They will be there by 0700."

"Great. Any word on any kind of theft of weapons?"

"Egyptian Police reports indicate there was some kind of skirmish in the warehouse district of Port Said. A couple hours later a freighter left the port, headed south in the Red Sea. It will take four and a half days to reach Boosaaso, assuming that's it's destination. That makes is early morning February 3. However, we don't have any way to determine that. The CIA and I are jointly tracking this ship as well as looking for Verbanski. We will keep you posted."

"Buddy, that is such great work! You're a lifesaver. I am really sorry you are having to put so many hours in on this. We're going to get you a commendation when this is all over."

"All I want, Chuck, is for you, Sarah, and Casey to get back here safely."

"And Gertrude, too."

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Listen: call me with any news, at any time. Our food's arrived so I'm going to sign off. Give Alex our love."

Morgan sat staring at the blank screen for several moments until he heard footsteps coming into the lab. Alex appeared around the door frame carrying several bags of groceries. They smiled … tired little smiles … but smiles nevertheless. Each knew the other was nearing the end of their rope and hoped this would all end soon … and safely for all their family and friends.

**Scene 80: January 31, 2013  
****3:00 am  
****CIA Safe House**

The team had eaten quickly and then headed to bed. Each of the five bedrooms had full bathrooms so everyone was able to shower as well. As tempting as showering together was, Chuck and Sarah decided to go separately. They both knew showering together would lead to more … much more … and they just didn't want to lose the sleep time. Now they were laying together, in each others' arms, letting the effects of the day's events drain away. It would not take long to fall asleep.

"Sarah, Morgan said he thought we should walk away from this. We're banged up, and this just seems to get more and more dangerous. I told him we were in the best position to act. Am I being foolish … should we walk away?"

Her head wound had begun to hurt again during the interrogation and the medicine she was taking had not done much to help. Her eyes had drifted closed and she was starting to relax when Chuck spoke. With a sigh, she responded: "On one hand, you are right: we are already here, on station. Plus, you were trying to reassure Morgan that we are okay. On the other hand, he's right: it does seem to keep spiraling further out of control. Had you given any thought to bailing?"

"Honestly, we've been so busy, no, I hadn't thought about it. That's not to say I wouldn't be thinking it now, on my own."

"Yeah, I think that's where I am, too. Let's sleep on it, see what the morning brings, and then reevaluate."

"As always, my lovely bride, that's a brilliant idea. One of the many, many reasons I love you."

"And I love you right back, Chuck. Let's get some sleep." After a sweet, gentle kiss that lingered with promise, they lay back, still in each others' arms, and were almost immediately asleep.

Sarah awoke and realized it was because she was cold. She tried to snuggle into Chuck but … _damn!_ … he wasn't there. Sitting up quickly … too quickly, causing a stabbing pain in her head … she looked around the room, but it was too dark to make anything out. She pulled the knife out from under her pillow, stood, and then reached for the nightstand lamp switch. When the light came on she could see that the room was empty. Grabbing her robe, she hid the knife in the pocket, and crept out of the room. There was a light on in the kitchen so she moved quickly and silently to where she could look around the door frame. Breathing a sigh of relief she saw Chuck sitting at the table with a glass of juice.

Not wanting to startle him, she called out softly, "Chuck … Chuck, honey, are you okay?"

Looking up from the glass he had been staring into for some time, Chuck smiled as Sarah ... _looking lovely, as always_ ... glided softly into the room. "Sorry, sweetie; did I wake you?"

"Yeah … I got cold." Sarah returned his smile and tried to sound lighthearted. "What woke you up? Another nightmare?"

"No … no nothing like that. I heard a crash, I think from next door, because I also heard Casey swear. Then he began pacing; pacing up and down, up and down…." His voice trailed off as he looked down, shaking his head. "He's going to lose it if we don't keep an eye on him."

"I didn't hear anything when I woke up. Maybe he finally fell asleep. I remember some long nights of pacing, too ... back when we were doing our dance around each other."

"You … you do? You really remember doing that? I had no idea; I thought I was the only one doing that during our cover relationship." He was elated that she was remembering those fine details. But then Chuck grimaced as he thought back to the times when it appeared he and Sarah would never be together; when she seemed determined to follow the spy code and not have feelings for him … or any feelings actually. He had tried to break free of the spell she had woven around him, too, but … one smile ... one word ... one touch ... and he was right back in, deeper than ever.

"It was always more than a cover, you know. I was afraid: afraid of committing myself into the hands of another. Dad drilled that into me; the CIA reinforced it. Everyone I had ever opened myself up to, or tried to rely on, let me down. I was so emotionally barren. And then you brought this whole new world to me and I just couldn't see how anyone … no, how YOU … could be so honest and caring. But you … and Ellie and Morgan ... just kept pulling me in; showing me that love and family were important and could be such wonderful things."

She had sat down in the chair next to him, their hands instantly connecting, as usual. They each rubbed the other's ring finger where the simple symbols of their love and devotion were still absent. They sat there for only a few moments before Sarah smiled once more and pulled him to his feet. "Come on Mr. Walker, let's get back to bed. We have to get some rest. Better lying in there, in each others' arms, than sitting here."

"Never a truer word has been spoken, Mrs. Bartowski."

**Scene 81: January 31, 2013  
****2:20 am (Cairo)  
****CIA Safe House**

Casey was fit to be tied! Walters was still unconscious and the med tech weenies were all about how he needed to be given the chance to come to on his own; the _VCorp_ teams had been delayed and would not be on the ground in Cairo until late this afternoon; Beckman hadn't gotten back to them as yet; and Morgan had nothing definite on Gertrude's location.

_Chuck and Sarah … all that lovey, dovey stuff. Ungh! No ...not going there ... that's just not right: I'm really was glad for them. They are so good for each other. But it just makes me miss Gertrude that much more. Stop it, Casey; you don't need all these lady feelings getting in the way of the mission. It's just another hostage rescue … oh like hell it is! _

He threw the apple he had been eating across the room, knocking the lamp off the nightstand where it shattered into a million pieces. "Sh**!" _Knowing Beckman, she'll send me a bill for that._

He paced around and around the room. He went over every last detail of the past month. What had they missed? How did the CIA and NSA not have intel on the nukes? Walters' ramblings about the kidnapping and other plans were too convoluted. The questions just went on and on, and every answer seemed to spawn even more questions.

Finally he laid down and tried to relax. He knew he needed the rest but just couldn't shut down his brain. Someone walked past his door towards the kitchen. _Must be either Chuck or Sarah; probably Chuck, because I'd never hear Sarah moving around. Damn! Hope I didn't wake them ... probably that damned lamp._

He finally drifted off into a restless sleep. There was Alex (and moron) … training with his Sensai … one of the first camps, Giordano's face flashing before him ... his usual obnoxious, pompous self ... how did he ever get to be a big shot in the UN? Events were shuffling back and forth as dreams most often do but Giordano always seemed to be present. Casey caught bits of conversations: "… no more than slaves … useless pawns … use them ... awaken the world to our power … no one will miss a few hundred thousand…."

Awakening in a cold sweat, Casey drug himself out of the bed, and out to the kitchen. No one was there; whoever had been out there had gone back to bed. _Coffee ... I need black, bitter coffee … NOW!_

**Scene 82: January 31, 2013  
****4:00 am (DC)/11:00 am (Cairo)  
****NSA Headquarters, Washington, DC / CIA Safe House, Cairo**

"Alright, team, the Joint Chiefs have been informed and the Chairman is on his way to the White House. We have Seal Teams Five and Seven on the way from the Philippines. Colonel Casey, what is the word from _Verbanski Corp_?"

Beckman had assembled the team for a briefing after giving Casey and the Bartowski's a chance for a few hours sleep and breakfast. It wasn't really enough, but was all they could afford at the moment. She, of course, was working on another sleepless night. But then, she wasn't in the field either.

"We have two teams arriving at _Quwaysina Airport, _Cairo, in about five hours. I will join them there."

"Very well. Mr. Grimes, where do we stand with Ms. Verbanski's location and the freighter?"

"The helicopter landed somewhere on the outskirts of Boosaaso. We assume there is a camp of some sort there. CIA satellites are being tasked to give us more intel on that. We still have no confirmation that Ger … er, Ms. Verbanski was aboard. The freighter is still so far out in the Red Sea it is impossible to predict it's final destination. At least it is still sailing south."

"So you just don't know squat, do you moron?" Casey shouted at the screen where Morgan cringed despite the long distance between them. "What good are you if you can't find out anything?"

"Casey ... easy, buddy. There are a lot of assets working on this, but there isn't much to go on yet." Chuck tried to calm Casey while looking at Morgan through the camera sending the signal back to his best friend.

"Colonel, that will be enough. Nerves and energy are strained to the breaking point so please be patient with us. Losing our tempers at each other will not help the situation." General Beckman was using her official, military face and voice and it instantly brought Casey up short. He was still military through and through and respected the uniform, rank and person.

"Sorry, General."

"I'm sorry, too, Casey. I thought I would have more for you by now, but there are too many variables right now."

"Alright. You three need to start preparing contingency plans for as many scenarios as possible. As intel becomes available we can eliminate any that become unnecessary and fine tune the others. Let's reconvene at 1700 Cairo time. Casey, I would ask you to remain with the rest of the team until we meet again. Then you can head out to meet with the _VCorp_ teams."

"General," Sarah tried to catch her before she clicked off. "May I have a private moment? Gentlemen, may I have the room?"

Everyone answered in the affirmative and Morgan signed off with a final goodbye. Once the room was clear, Sarah turned back to the screen. "Diane, we have become friends, I believe, and I have to take this opportunity to tell you, friend to friend, that you just can not continue without getting some rest. You've been an operative and know how important it is to care for yourself in order to care for your team and mission."

"Thank you for your concern, Sarah. I am doing fine and…."

"I'm sorry, but it is obvious to me how exhausted you are and we just learned there is much more at stake here than we thought."

General Beckman … Diane … stared at the monitor for several moments before dropping her head. Sarah had never seen her in this condition. Suddenly a vision of Beckman and Roan Montgomery came to her. It was a new memory so it must have happened during the previous five years. Montgomery had gone off grid and the General was beside herself, even to the point of going into the field herself. Even then, as upset as she was with Montgomery, she had not gotten to this state of exhaustion.

"Sarah … this is my watch. I sent all of you into this mission. I have to be doing my share on this end."

"All true, Diane, but if you are not operating at your highest level, you could make a crucial mistake that could hurt the mission. You don't want … or need … that on your conscience. We need you at 100 percent. You would expect nothing less of us."

"And what do you expect me to do?"

"Have someone bring you a decent meal, eat slowly, listen to some music, and then get three or four hours sleep. If anything happens you know we will call you. I promise you, we will not do anything without talking to you first."

After a long pause, Beckman put an a small, tired smile, and asked, "Sarah, when did you become so wise? Is this the same super spy we sent to Burbank six years ago?"

"No, Diane, it isn't. I found out how to truly live … and love. I am so much better now, in every facet of my life."

"Very well. If it were anyone else, Sarah, I would have you arrested and brought home on charges. How is it we have changed so much?"

"That's easy: Chuck Bartowski! Good night, General. We'll talk to you in a few hours."

Once the monitor went dark Diane Beckman leaned back in her chair. _Sarah's right: _

_Chuck has changed us with his loving, caring, family first attitudes. First he changed one of the most cold-hearted spies ever to work for the CIA; then the hardass, burned out, NSA agent fell to him; and now here I am, head of the NSA and a General in the U.S. Air Force, caring about people before the mission. What an amazing force for good!_

She had slept and eaten so little, and so irregularly, that her body had no idea what time it was. Pressing a button on her desk, she contacted her aide, "Captain Nelson, I need you to find me the best ribeye steak, baked potato and salad with ranch dressing, you can find within thirty minutes of the Pentagon and get it here asap."

**Scene 83: January 31, 2013  
****9:00 am (Cairo)  
****Somali Desert Camp**

Gertrude awoke with a start, sweat pouring from her pores, but couldn't move. Then she remembered: when they had arrived by helicopter, she was taken to a tent and tied to the bed. It had been dark when they arrived and the landing area lights kept her from seeing anything of where they landed. Now the sun was bearing down, and the tent was heating up quickly.

"Hey! Anybody! Hey! I need water in here." She continued to yell but it didn't seem to make a difference.

Finally, about ten minutes later, a soldier entered, untied her, and motioned for her to follow. The sun was blinding and burning on her fair skin. They moved quickly to a much larger tent and entered through doors resembling an airlock. She was immediately struck by cool, dry air. _Ah, civilization ... or at least something resembling it._ The guard motioned for her to sit while he moved to a back table where Giordano, Montez and three other men were huddled.

Montez stood up after a few minutes, grabbed a couple bottles of water from a cooler, and brought them over to her. "This will have to do for now. Our kitchen is down at the moment. Hopefully it will be back up by lunchtime. Don't go outside; we can not guarantee your safety. The soldiers here are pretty unpredictable."

_Just freakin' great._ She drained one bottle quickly. _In some godforsaken desert with a bunch of madmen who are worried about how unpredictable their soldiers are. Can this get any better? Come on Casey; get me the hell out of here._

About half an hour later Giordano and Montez walked over and sat with her. "Ms. Verbanski, we want you to call off your teams. It is in no one's best interest for them to attack us here."

"Are you kidding me? You must know they are on the way."

"No, we don't think they are, actually; not yet, anyway. However, we have an offer for you. If you will call them off, we will guarantee to take you to safety when we go. We will also let you go once our plan has run it's course. Otherwise, we will just leave you here with the troops to fend for yourself."

"You're running scared, aren't you?" SLAM! Montez backhanded her violently and she instantly tasted blood. Spitting it out, she lashed out, grabbed his hand, and twisted sharply until a loud pop was heard, followed by a scream of pain. "I warned you what would happen if you touched me again!"

"Woman! Release his hand." She looked up at Giordano, now on his feet and pointing his handgun at her. "Now!"

Montez pulled his hand away, the thumb now pointing out at a very unnatural angle. He sat back down quickly, his eyes glazed over in pain. One of the other men in the room ran over to steady him on the chair before helping him up and out of the tent, presumably to go to the medical tent, if there was one.

"That really wasn't very smart, woman. We have no good reason to keep you alive, so don't press your luck."

"My luck? MY luck, you asshole? If I had any luck I would have turned this whole job down, way back in December. Kill me, throw me to those wolves outside, give me the keys to the chopper or a truck. Anything! But stop jerking me around. I'm tired of it ... I'm tired of you ... I'm tired of this whole second rate business." She was moving towards him, waving her hands and practically screaming, making him back up and keep his gun at the ready.

"Fine." She stopped and let her shoulders droop. "I'll call Casey. But I can tell you this: he's going to tell you to go to hell."


	20. Rested, Ready, and Angry

A/N: I continue to be amazed at all the wonderful people who are a part of this fanfic world. Thank you all for your encouragement, criticism, humor, and support.

Chuck, Quwaysina Airport, the Somali desert, Michael Buble, and _You and I_ all belong to others and I do not reap any benefits other than a bit of fun while playing in this world.

Bet you can figure out who's quote is the title for this chapter. Enjoy!

**XX. Rested, Ready and Angry**

**Scene 84: January 31, 2013  
****12:00 noon (Cairo)  
****CIA Safe House**

As Sarah came out of the briefing room, two agents entered with Chinese takeout for everyone. Where they found Chinese takeout in Cairo, Egypt, she didn't even want to know. At least it smelled really good. Chuck, Casey and Angela emerged from a side room that was being turned into a tactical planning center: two large tables, four computer terminals and four big screen monitors were up ready. Chuck had already downloaded the _Carmichael Industries_ software he had designed, specifically for this purpose, and synced everything with Morgan.

The food was quickly consumed, with very little conversation. Angela had hoped they would talk about the mission but it was obvious they were going to be tightlipped about it all for now. She was also dying to talk to the Bartowski's about their lives together. _And then there's John Casey: what's his story and how was he connected to _Verbanski Corp_? So many questions!_

"Okay troops, we've wasted enough time here. We need to get moving on this."

"Always the taskmaster, aren't you Casey," Chuck said with a smile and a single eyebrow wiggle that, Angela noticed, made Sarah smile and blush slightly. She was waiting for Casey to explode but he simply grunted and walked away, into the tactical room.

"Is he always like this?"

Sarah and Chuck both chuckled, "Angela, this is the mellow John Casey you see here. You should have met him six years ago when he first came to protect me." As he said 'protect' Sarah looked at him and smirked. Angela wondered, not for the last time, what they had just communicated to each other.

Joining Casey, they were immediately 100 percent focused on delineating as many scenarios as they could think of, and then worked to develop contingencies for each. Angela was amazed at how quickly they worked, while being completely thorough. Sarah and Casey developed the plans, then passed them to Angela to review and critique. She then passed them to Chuck who created 3D computer models and equipment lists.

Another agent periodically brought them coffee and informed them whenever additional intel came into the comm center. It was late afternoon when a message came for Casey that the _VCorp_ teams had landed. "I'm going out there to make sure they have everything they need and give them the first set of contingencies. Keep me up to speed. I'll be back in about three hours. Tell the moron I want confirmation."

"Yessir, Colonel Casey, sir!" Chuck gave a mock salute and Sarah grimaced. Angela just watched, still trying to get the dynamic of the team.

"Ungh!" Casey turned on his heel and marched out.

"Chuck, why do you bait him like that?" Sarah had walked over to him and put a hand on his chest.

"Oh, honey, you know he loves it."

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure I'd push him as long as Gertrude is missing."

"Noted. You're absolutely right ... as always, babe. As long as we're stopped, let's have some supper and then I'll call Morgan. I know he went home to get some sleep so I doubt he's back at _CI_ yet."

They walked, hand in hand, down the hall to the kitchen, while Angela just trailed along, completely mesmerized by this couple.

As they were finishing up the meal one of the med techs entered and told Sarah that Walters was awake. As she started to stand he cautioned her to go easy this time. "As soon as he gives us enough to save the world, I will be the easiest, gentlest person he has ever met. In the meantime…." She let that just hang there, letting everyone know she was going to be all business. "Angela, care to join me this time?"

"You bet!"

Chuck watched the two women head for the door and said, "Don't worry about me. I'll just keep working here by myself…." He stopped mid-sentence as he realized they were no longer listening ... nor even in the room, for that matter.

**Interrogation Room...**

"Welcome back, Walters. Ready to continue our little talk?"

"Who's she," he asked, jerking his head towards Angela.

"Just your worst nightmare. You think Casey is bad? Wait 'til I turn you over to her." Sarah looked at Angela, hoping she could keep her spy face on; she was pleased with what she saw.

Suddenly Sarah was behind Walters, catching him around the neck with her left arm and right hand gripping his chin. "Sixty-six pounds of torque and you'll have eyes in the back of your head. Want to see if I'm strong enough?"

Talking with a strangled rasp he replied, "Of course you are. But then you won't get anything more out of me." He was trying to be defiant, but it was a pretty lame attempt, and they all knew it.

Tightening the hold slightly she leaned into his ear and whispered, "True. But we know Verbanski is in a terrorist camp near Boosaaso; we are tracking a freighter in the Red Sea with all the stolen arms; two Seal Teams and two _VCorp_ teams are staging as we speak. How much more do you think we really need from you?"

The more she spoke, the more blood drained from Walters' face. _How do they know all that?_ He was beginning to see spots as she held his neck in a vice grip and he was sure he was going to die this time.

But then she let go and he slumped in the chair. "Thanks for the confirmation. How about some details?" He remained slumped over but shook his head slightly. "Okay, I guess we'll just dose you again … just know this: the antidote will not save you this time." Sarah motioned Angela out of the room and followed her, once again closing and sealing the room. This time she didn't say a word, but just tossed the vial into the room. Fumes spread through the room as before; Walters screamed.

"What is that stuff, Sarah?" Angela's face paled as she spoke in a hushed tone.

"That? Oh, it's just perfume. But it looks and smells just like the serum we used earlier. We'll see if he will succumb to a placebo. Five will get you ten he caves."

"No bet," Angela replied with a laugh.

This time he was actually trying to hold his breath but that didn't last long. Sarah was trying to glare in at him but was having a hard time not laughing.

Sarah opened the door and walked in to stand directly in front of him. "Okay, okay! Bring Casey back! I'll talk to him."

"Sorry, Casey's left the building. You just get us."

"Daaaammmmnnnnnnnn!"

Glaring down at him now, hands on hips, with all her weight on her right leg and left leg out at an angle, she was the picture of power and ruthlessness. Morgan Grimes had experienced this side of her on occasion and was cowering and defenseless in moments. This flashed through her brain; she would have to apologize again when they returned home. In the meantime, she was working her magic on Walters now and he seemed to be succumbing to her spell.

Walters was trying not to look at her, or even think about her. However, as the object of his obsession for so many years, she was now taking her toll on his remaining sanity. He kept thinking that he wasn't feeling the same desire to tell the truth as he had the first time, but then he heard himself saying all the things he knew he should be hiding. As the two beautiful valkyries circled, threatened and probed deeply into this inner thoughts, he spilled everything.

Sarah finally called a halt to the interrogation. She knew they had rung everything they could out of him. "Well, Mr. Walters, I want to thank you for your cooperation. Oh, there is one last thing."

"What?"

"Casey told me one of the demands you gave him and Ms. Verbanski was to turn me over to you. Why was I singled out?"

"I've already told you that."

"Yeah, but I think there is more than just your personal vendetta."

"You've made a lot of enemies over the years, Walker."

Angela had not held back during the interrogation but was more of the good cop compared to Sarah. Now, she reached into their equipment bag and pulled out an empty syringe with a long needle. Pulling the plunger back, she walked back to Walters and roughly shoved the needle into his forearm.

"AHHHHHHH! What the hell? What are you doing? That's not the antidote!" Sarah was again standing behind him and he had expected her to physically attack once again. This assault by the brunette agent really caught him off guard.

"Mostly because I didn't give you another dose of serum; that was just perfume. You told us all that under the influence of a bottle of _Acqua di Parma Colonia_. Wait 'til I tell the folks back at Langley!"

Agent Marconi leaned into his face and hissed: "Do you know what happens if I inject an air bubble into you?"

"You wouldn't!"

"Care to make a small wager on that, Mister Walter Prill?"

"Okay, okay! Take it out … take it out! I'll tell you." In a soft, small voice he finished: "I'm dead now anyway."

Sarah reached around him and roughly pulled the needle out of his arm, eliciting yet another scream of pain and terror.

Angela had walked away and returned with gauze, cotton balls, and tape. She dressed the small puncture wound. This sudden change in her demeanor added to his confusion, and further addled his already fragile thought processes. Walters was starting to say thank you when she once again grabbed syringe and pricked his neck with the needle. Walters' eyes grew large with fear as she grabbed his chin and growled: "Now. Spill!"

With a final sigh of resignation, he said, "Sharam Raage is the brother of Dalmar Raage, who was a classmate of Anselmo Giordano at Cambridge. Sharam attended Yale where he met and married a girl named Victoria … Victoria Ryker." He looked at Sarah with wild eyes: "Ring any bells?"

At the mention of the name 'Ryker' Sarah gasped with a sudden intake of air. Angela looked on, puzzled by the sudden change in her colleague. And Walters' smirk suddenly returned as he knew he had shocked her.

"Ryker … Victoria … Ryker." Sarah said the names in a whisper. "And she was … is …?"

"That's right … Kierran Ryker … your old handler … his sister. Hah! The great Sarah Walker … gotcha!"

Sarah lashed out and punched him in squarely in the face. The menace returned to her voice: "So ... what? She's now a Somali pirate?"

"Yep," he said while licking the blood from his lower lip. "Actually, she and I are the brains behind the whole business. Those fool Somalis are just tools. And soon we will rule the world with those 'pirates'."

"Well, YOU certainly won't because you will never see the light of day again." Turning around she headed out of the room, "Let's go Angela. We have a lot of work to do."

**Scene 85: January 31, 2013  
****7:37 pm (Cairo)/1:37 pm (DC)/10:37 am (LA)  
****CIA Safe House**

"Alright everyone; Sarah, what news do you have?"

Casey had just arrived back at the safe house, having been called by Sarah, once the second interrogation ended. Chuck had contacted Morgan as well, who returned to _CI_ immediately. Now General Beckman was online so everyone could be briefed together.

"We are correct about the ship; it is sailing to Boosaaso, Somalia, where it is to be unloaded. The weapons aboard would bring the Somali pirates, more specifically the _Arann'te,_ to a level of sophistication never before seen." There were several audible gasps around the room and from those online, as a list of the weapons scrolled down one side of the monitor. The frown on Beckman's face deepened even further.

'However, that's not the really bad news. There are twelve soviet nuclear devices onboard as well. The plan calls for nine to be unloaded and moved by truck to a terrorist camp some 200 miles away. One device will be left on the ship, or possibly moved into Boosaaso itself, one will be moved to the Nbora refugee camp, and the third to Djibouti City, Djibouti. All three will be timed to detonate simultaneously, sending the rest of the world spiraling into chaos."

"Oh my God, Sarah. Are you sure about all this?"

"Yes, General. We have no reason to doubt the intel Walters gave us."

"General." It was Casey speaking up now. "This confirms rumors _VCorp_ has been hearing and attempting to track. This is much more detailed, but the chatter going around included multiple strikes, including a Somalian port and a refugee camp."

Now it was Chuck's turn: "We have extrapolated that the Somali's would blame both Russia and America in working together to strike fear into the African nations, as a way to continue their domination of the continent. It would also fan the flames of unrest in just about every middle eastern nation."

"Okay, team. Do we have a plan?"

Sarah looked at Chuck before speaking, "This has completely trumped what we worked on earlier today, so we need to go back to the drawing board. It shouldn't take us long, however."

"Need I remind you we are down to about three days before the ship arrives at Boosaaso?"

"No, General. We are quite aware of the deadline."

"Morgan, do we have a confirmation on Verbanski yet?"

"We sure do, Casey. She is being held in a camp about 20 klicks southwest of Boosaaso. Unfortunately, that would be in the strongest fallout area from the refugee camp blast."

"Ungh! General, I have to go get her."

Sarah reached out to place a hand on his arm. "I fully agree, General, and think that would then put _VCorp_ in a good position to help capture the nukes being sent to the refugee and terrorist camps."

"There is something else, General." Everyone stopped moving and looked at Sarah. "Walters' partner in this plan is one Victoria Ryker." She paused as everyone took this information in. Chuck, Casey and Morgan all looked like they had seen a ghost, which, in a way, they had. "That's Ryker ... as in my former handler and rogue spy. It's his sister and I am sure she knows about our final mission together and that I killed him a little over a year ago." Looking at Chuck, Sarah could tell he had flashed when she mentioned the name.

"So, this has a personal twist to it as well. Great … just great." The General was more than a little peeved at this new revelation.

"I suggest we concentrate on the nukes for now. Morgan, can you and Alex begin researching this woman? We need to know her location, and who her associates are?" Chuck stopped as he looked at his wife, who had a deeply worried look on her face, and then added, "Oh … also … get Emma and Molly into _CI_ until this is over." Chuck had instantly seized on the importance of this new information and jumped in to take charge, sending a feeling of relief through Sarah. She gave him her special smile and a squeeze of his hand, breaking through the chill he had felt growing during the briefing.

"We're on it Chuck."

"Alright, everyone. We all know the stakes have gone right through the roof. Let's get a plan and make it happen. Call me back when you have something." With that General Beckman was gone. She left unsaid her confidence in this team to, once again, save the world.

**Scene 86: February 1, 2013  
****12 midnight (Cairo)  
****Somali Desert Camp**

"Alright, Verbanski, here is the script you must use. Do not stray from it."

"I will need to rewrite this." Giordano started to object but she continued on: "If I don't sound normal to Casey he will just ignore whatever I say and come in, both barrels blazing."

"Write down what you will say. If I approve, you may use it."

Gertrude looked it all over and saw a way to add code without arousing their suspicions … she hoped. After writing it down, Giordano glanced at it and handed it back with a shrug.

Fifteen minutes later she was escorted to another tent, full of electronic equipment. A fifty foot tower had been raised behind the tent, which she assumed was some sort of transmission tower, in order to pinpoint the radio signals.

"Ambassador, we have _Verb__anski Corp_ online."

"Thank you, Corporal." Handing her the microphone, he continued, "Stick to the script or suffer the consequences."

Nodding, she took the microphone, cleared her throat and began to speak: "This is Gertrude Verbanski. Who am I speaking to?"

There was a long pause, which she thought must be due to the style of transmission they were using. Finally a thin, electronic sounding voice came through: "Ms. Verbanski, good to hear from you. This is Gyorgi Forstaski."

"Hello Gyorgi. Can you connect me to Casey?"

"No problem. It will take about two minutes to make the connection. Do you have any better means of communicating?"

"No, sorry. It is very primitive here. I'll wait."

The radio seemed to go dead and she hoped they hadn't lost the connection. She had been concerned that whoever answered at _VCorp_ would try to talk to her and give away important information. But as soon as she knew it was Gyorgi, she relaxed. He had left the KGB with her and was a seasoned hand. He would monitor the entire conversation, picking up on any code words she worked in. Then he and Casey could compare notes to make sure there was no misunderstanding.

Several clicks and buzzes came through and then a new, louder crackling sound came through the speakers. Despite all the noise, she instantly recognized the voice as Casey's. "Gertrude, is that you?"

"Yes, Alex. I am well. Are you recovering well?"

"Fine. What can you tell me?" She could hear the curtness and strain in his voice.

"I have a statement to read. There will not be any questions allowed. Do you understand?"

"Copy."

"The _Arann'te_ do not wish to quarrel with _Verbanski Corp_. You must wait; don't attempt a rescue. If you hold back, they will protect me and then release me, unharmed, to an Embassy of my choice, on February 5, 2013. Any attempt, something big, to rescue me, or disrupt any of their activities, by anyone from any country or agency, between now and then, will bring my immediate execution. It's a dangerous time.

"Please contact all other agencies and convince them to pull back their operatives.

"Let's end this now, JC, and get back to Venezuela."

Giordano's hand slammed down on the radio controls, ending the transmission. "What was that last bit, woman?" He continued, shouting: "I told you not to stray from the script!"

"Relax, Giordano. Venezuela is where we always vacation. Can't blame me for sending a little enticement to my man, can you?" Despite Giordano's stare, she grinned, hoping he didn't realize he had just been hoodwinked.

**Scene 87: February 1, 2013  
****12:27 am (Cairo)  
**_**Quwaysina Airport, **_**Cairo**

"Get her back! Get her back!" Casey was screaming at the tech.

"I'm sorry, sir. The signal is gone."

"Forstaski … did you get all that?"

"Yessir! I already have the text onscreen and am sending it to you now. Can you give me the keys?"

"Alex is the trigger followed by a three word sentence and four word sentence. That tells us third and fourth wordin each sentence. Venezuela … nine letters … 900 plus troops. JC is two hours after sundown."

"Okay, here it is."

On the computer screen the message popped up:

**do not … wait don't … hold back … something big … dangerous time**

"Got it. Now, let's see…." Casey looked at it a moment and then grabbed the keyboard and typed:

**do not wait … don't hold back … something big … dangerous time**

"That's it, sir. She's telling us to come in, full speed, right now. Something big is coming and it's dangerous."

"That's what I'm seeing, too, Gyorgi. Are we coordinating with the U.S. forces?"

"Yes, sir. Two Seal Teams are set to coordinate with us and a Ranger squadron is setting up the staging camp. We also have two Blackhawks and four Apaches at our disposal."

"Great! I have to meet with my other team and then I'll get back to you. Stay alert!"

Turning to the squad leaders of the _VCorp_ teams he smiled and said, "Gentlemen, we're going in after Verbanski; staging from here to arrive there just after dark tomorrow. Have your men rested, ready and angry!"

**Scene 88: February 1, 2013  
****1:00 am (Cairo)  
****CIA Safe House**

Once Casey left, Chuck, Sarah, and Angela jumped back into mission planning mode. They worked, studied, and argued through the process, but finally came up with a comprehensive plan they thought to be the best to meet the situation, and all the possible contingencies.

During a break, Sarah quizzed Chuck about his flash on Victoria Ryker. "Brilliant … Yale grad … kicked out of the CIA for being too … uh, exuberant … dropped off the radar but been tied to several terrorist groups in various parts of Africa … last reported sighting in Mogadishu. Not much detail, sweetie, but enough to know she is dangerous."

"If she is anything like her brother, she is a cold, ruthless, completely self-centered psychopath. If she knows about Mom and Molly…. Oh my God, Chuck…." Sarah was trembling now and tears were forming in her eyes. Chuck pulled her to him and gently held her as she tried to hold back the sobs that were trying to overcome her.

"We will stop her, Sarah. I promise."

Finally, about 0100 local time they called it a night. Angela, stifling yet another yawn, said goodnight and left. Sarah turned to leave as well but Chuck grabbed her hand and pulled her around to face him. She moved in close, bringing one hand up to his cheek. Even this close she could see the smile coming onto his face and, as tired as she was, felt the now familiar tingle race through her body, head to toes.

She saw that he had something in his hand and realized it was his iPhone. Gently, he raised his left hand and placed an earbud in her right ear, then placed the other into his own ear. Sounds of Michael Buble singing _You and I_ came into both their ears as they gently touched lips and Chuck brought both his hands to her waist. She smiled as she straightened and played with his shirt collar, patting his chest when she finished. It was a gesture he had loved, from the very first time, way back in the first few days of their 'cover' relationship. They were already swaying gently to the music as she reached up and linked her arms around his neck.

_** You and I  
**__** In my mind  
**__** We can conquer the world  
**__** In love you and I  
**__** You and I, you and I  
**__** You and I…**_

"Perfect," Sarah whispered into his ear, causing the hair to rise on his neck and arms. "Is this a tradition: a gentle, sexy dance prior to a dangerous mission?" Her lips curled in a smile as she finished the question with a long kiss on his neck.

"Ummmmmmm. Well, we should definitely make it one now." He returned the kiss, placing his lips on the side of her head, at the edge of her hair ... the beautiful, golden, silky strands tickling his lips and nose. "You are so beautiful." Her smile was radiant as he continued, "I love you, Sarah."

"Love you more, baby."

Angela was ready to crash, but heard a noise from down the hallway. Grabbing her gun, she silently crept out of her room, towards the kitchen door. She continued to hear the shuffling sounds so she brought her handgun to ready position and inched her way to the doorway. But when she looked into the kitchen her heart melted, seeing her two new friends holding one another closely, and gently moving about the room. They both had their eyes closed, holding each other with love and tenderness. Lowering her gun, she watching them for a few moments, before backing out and gliding, silently, to her room. She did not want to disturb them in their time together. She smiled once again: _these two should take over Roan Montgomery's seduction class!_

The music ended and both sighed. "Do you want to dance some more?"

"No, Chuck. Let's go to the room. I need you tonight. Hold me close and let me show you how much I love you."

"Sarah … sweetheart … my sentiments exactly."

They turned, each moving an arm to the other's waist, and walked to their room. Once inside, Chuck again turned to face his lady love and kissed her, first gently, but then with mounting passion. Sarah returned the kiss, turning the intensity up yet another level. She brought her right leg up to wrap around Chuck's legs and he lifted her ever so slightly off the floor as their mouths opened, tongues coming into contact with each other. Sarah moaned deeply into his mouth and he pulled her even tighter against his chest, feeling the supple curves of her luscious body.

The passion ignited and Sarah, totally immersed in his strong, masculine body, whispered breathlessly, "Oh, Chuck, I need you so much," as she continued to run kisses over his face.

"I can't get enough of you, my lady." Chuck whispered back, burying his face in the junction of her neck and shoulder.

Sarah unbuttoned his shirt while trying not to collapse: his kisses and caressing hands were turning her legs to jello. As she finished, he stood up straight and turned her to face away, then pulled her tight up against his chest. Reaching around her, he began to return the favor: unbuttoning her blouse ... exposing the lovely rise of her breast ... gasping at the sheer beauty of her. Once he restarted his breathing, he resuming kissing her hair and ears. She could do nothing but sag against him, breathing hard, heart racing. Then, as he moved his hands up to hold and caress her, she raised her's over her head and gently held his head, digging her fingers sensually into his brown hair.

Throwing her head back in ecstasy she cried out: "Take me to bed … _You and I_ … NOW!"

Lying in each others' arms sometime later, Chuck stared at the ceiling. His face was a contradiction: he still wore a smile, but the large vein in the center of his forehead stuck out as well. Their fingers were laced together and Chuck kept squeezing her ring finger.

Sarah, her head on his shoulder as usual, was breathing gently and deeply, more asleep than awake. But she could feel his pulse still racing. That, combined with the constant pressure on her ring finger, told her he was troubled about something.

Chuck's brain was racing. He was relishing the time and love with Sarah. There was no longer any doubt, in either of their minds actually, their love was here to stay. He hadn't given it a second thought when she had questioned if they had done this in the past, prior to a mission. Only a few weeks ago, that would have sent one or both into a panic. But with Sarah's ever returning memories, and the return of their physical passion, they were finally past the worry and doubt. They were truly one … completely in love ... together, now and forever.

But this mission was scaring him more and more. Things had escalated and now they were facing another nuclear threat. In addition, the plan, while sound, was still extremely dangerous, and would leave them in great danger. If anything went wrong it could … would … be fatal. What would he ever do if Sarah were taken from him … again? What if forever ended with this mission?

_Should I say something? Should I … could I ... comfort him? Get him to relax?_ Sarah was sure he was freaking out over the mission. He had hated them going into _DeltaCon_ … _was it less than two days ago?_ … but this was much more serious. She was confident, despite the unknowns inherent in any mission, but she could not lose Chuck again: _He is my life, my home, my very soul._

She remembered many of the rough patches from their past, and much of it had to do with one or both of them not talking to, or being honest with, the other. _Time to put on my big girl panties, and move forward with this man I love so much._

"Chuck." It was a simple word, said softly, but she could feel the reaction throughout his body. "You're worried about the mission, aren't you?"

"Sorry, Sarah. I didn't mean to keep you awake. But, yes … yes, I am. Too … too many variables. Too much at stake. Aren't you worried?"

"Of course I am. But" … she hugged him and brought his hand to her lips … "but we have plenty of back up, Casey is here, and we've gone into danger before, with more unknowns than this."

"I can't lose you again, Sarah."

"And I can't lose you either. So, we just have to protect each other and get this over with as quickly as possible."

Chuck rolled onto his side and looked at his wife with those deep, deep chocolate eyes. She shifted with him and stared back through her brilliant azure eyes. He reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and felt her shudder with delight. "I trust you, Sarah. If you say it is so, then so it shall be."

He pulled her close and their lips locked tightly together. He continued to stroke her hair and she ran a hand along his arm and down to his hip. Moving up and over she pushed Chuck onto his back, ending up with her straddling him. She saw his eyes widen to their fullest, and she leaned down to once again capture his lips.

"Hmmmmm. Mrs. Bartowski. I love it when you take charge!"

"Mr. Walker ... honey ... I'm always in charge."

A/N 2: Special thanks to NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs for the neck snapping details. (Insert standard disclaimer here.)

My apologies for the lame code from Verbanski to Casey. Couldn't find my decoder ring.


	21. Attack!

A/N: I think this is the longest chapter I have ever posted here. Things are happening so fast now, it was difficult to find the right place to stop. This chapter is all about Chuck & Sarah, Casey & Verbanski. More mission than fluff, but each will have those moments of wonder, fear, and joy, for each other. I hope it will be fun for you to read. Thanks to all of you who added this story to your 'follow' and/or 'favorite' lists. A special big thanks to all who have commented; you are an inspiration.

Standard disclaimer go here but I've run out of clever ways to say them (if I ever did actually say anything clever here.)

**XXI. Attack!**

**Scene 89. February 1, 2013  
****9:00 am (Cairo)  
****CIA Safe House**

Casey dozed while en route to the safe house and was not happy when he was roused by the driver. Walking down the hallway to his room he could hear noises coming from Chuck and Sarah's room. A grunt and a smile was all he could muster at the time. He flopped down on the bed, fully clothed, and was asleep in seconds.

Several hours later the smell of breakfast wafted through the house and roused the three agents. Meeting in the hall outside their rooms, the three friends walked to the kitchen, where they found Angela and another agent cooking an amazing breakfast. All three went straight to the coffee pot without saying a word.

"Good morning all. Thought we should start the day off with a good breakfast. Who knows when we will be eating, and together, again." Sarah smiled at her new friend and moved to help her get it all to the table.

After eating, they all moved to the work room to fill Casey in on the plan. He was fuming by the time they ended the briefing.

"Are you people crazy? Walker, what the hell are you thinking? Bartowski, you better talk some sense into your wife!"

"Now, Casey…."

"No!" he pounded the table with this fist. "This is just going to get you all killed." He paused, stood up and walked over to the doorway. He turned to face them again, looking right at Sarah. "Walk … Sarah ... if they catch you, you are dead … if you're lucky. More likely, they'll take one look at … well … you: those blue eyes, blonde hair, your … uh.…" He stopped and just gestured at her. "You'll find yourself the sex slave of a damned pirate in freakin' Mogadishu. No! I won't let you do this."

"Casey, we've already discussed and argued this out. There just isn't a better solution. It's not like she's going in alone; I'll be there, along with one of the Seals. We will all be watching each others' six." Chuck had made this same argument the day before, but Beckman had agreed that they needed operatives onboard the freighter, and he and Sarah were the two best agents to do it. He was resigned to the decision, despite continuing reservations.

"Ungh!" It was one of Casey's angry grunts and Chuck cringed, having been the object of this particular exclamation many times in the past. "But you both are injured and…."

"Casey, as much as we appreciate your concern, we just don't have time to bring in another team."

After a long pause ... and a long exhalation ... he replied, "Fine." Another long pause and then: "But leave all the lovey-dovey stuff here. You need to be that wildcard enforcer, and Bartowski, you need to be … well … the Intersect."

"We will," they both answered together.

As everyone now had the plan, and instructions were sent to both the Seal Teams and the _VCorp_ teams, it was time to move out. Casey only had to collect a few items from his kit, as most of his gear was already at the airport.

Chuck and Sarah quickly changed into their mission gear. Before she left their room, Sarah removed her engagement and wedding rings, as well as her charm bracelet. She was running her fingers over the chain as Chuck moved to stand behind her, and wrapped one hand around her waist. Gently, he placed his own ring in her hand and then wrapped his hand around her hand, the rings, and the bracelet. Finally she pulled away, placed the jewelry into her bag that was staying in Cairo, and picked up her go bag. Silently they moved out of the room and walked to the inside garage door.

Sarah moved to Casey's side and, placing a hand on his shoulder, leaned up and whispered in his ear, "Go get Gertrude, John. You two need to be together."

"Thanks, Walker. You two come home, too," was all he said in reply, whispered so softly only Sarah heard him.

Chuck and Casey shook hands but said nothing. The contact of their hands and eyes said everything.

**Scene 90: February 1, 2013  
****9:00 pm (Cairo)  
****Somali Desert Camp**

Casey's two Blackhawks, loaded with _VCorp_ operatives, skimmed over the sand to the drop zone. They had chosen a spot about two klicks from the camp: it was behind a substantial rise in the terrain, shielding them from the camp sentries.

As it was a new moon, the additional darkness helped hide the troops as they moved quickly and silently towards their target. The spotters already had the camp in site and were giving instructions to the rest of the squad on their approach. The plan called for them to stop about a half a klick out.

The four Apaches had moved to encircle the camp, one at each compass point. They were holding position, waiting for Casey's signal to begin the assault. Four initial targets were already identified: the fuel dump and motor pool, munitions dump, radio tent and main barracks. Each Apache took one target and locked their weapons. Once those four targets were destroyed, two had secondary targets while the other two would move into position to cover the ground troops. With luck these last two wouldn't have to be called in.

"Empress coming home. On my mark: three … two … one … GO, GO, GO!"

As Casey counted down each Apache rose slightly in the air, gaining clear, line-of-sight targeting, and on the first 'GO' each unleashed their first missile. Striking almost simultaneously, four explosions rocked the camp, followed by multiple, massive explosions as ammunition, fuel and vehicles exploded.

On his last 'GO' all the men jumped up and moved quickly into the midst of the chaos. During the past year Casey had trained with all these men, bringing his wealth of experience to the mix. He may have preferred one of his Marine squads, but not by much. Tonight they were going in to rescue one of their own, heightening the elements of determination and anger.

Gertrude was expecting Casey to attack between 2030 and 2130 hours so she was alert and ready to move. She was also sure he would come in with overwhelming firepower. _What had they called it in Iraq? Oh yeah, 'shock and awe'._ There were a lot of troops in this camp but she doubted they were very well trained. Machine guns in the back of pickup trucks was pretty high tech out here. The hope would be to knock out as many as possible with the first wave, and cower the rest into passive resistance.

When they had taken her to the mess tent and latrine she had scoped out the lay of the camp. The tents and semipermanent structures were laid out in two, parallel semicircles facing south. When the attack came it would be head on into those semicircles. She also knew which tent was Giordano's ... and hopefully Montez's as well. In the center, it was a fairly protected position in case of attack. She was going to find those bastards!

Watching out the flap of the tent she saw the flash as the first missiles where fired and was on the move by the time they hit. Realizing the missiles were coming in from all four quadrants, she dove behind her tent and curled into a ball to protect herself. As secondary explosions began, she moved to the corner of the tent and peered around the edge. The attack was exactly what she had expected, and now she could hear small arms fire starting; from the sound, she could tell it was _VCorp_ weapons.

Just ahead of her were two mangled bodies. Moving up to them she found two handguns and a knife. Sticking one gun in the back of her waistband and the knife through a belt loop, she moved on to circle around the back side of the tents on the inner circle, working her way to the leaders' tent. She knew it was a risk to be moving around in the middle of an attack, but she wasn't going to let Casey and the boys have all the fun.

Chaos reined. Explosions were still going off, an Apache helicopter strafed the barracks building at the far east end, and the screams of the wounded continued to grow in intensity.

Gertrude stopped at the edge of each tent before racing to the next in case any soldiers were trying to hide there. Men were running every direction and none seemed too inclined to fight. The surprise was complete and total and the Somali's were panicking. The few she ran into made no effort to attack her in any way.

As she reached the big, main tent she saw two men crawling out the back. They both appeared to have minor injuries as she raced silently up to them. They never saw her coming and as she reached them she viciously kicked the first man in the ribs causing him to spin a full 360 degrees in the air and land on his face in the sand. The second man was trying to stand, but she smashed her elbow down on the side of his face. Seeing the white hair on this second man, she put her foot in the small of his back, grabbed his hair, and pulled his head up, arching his back viciously, while putting the handgun to his head. "Hi there, Giordano. Nice to see you again."

**Scene 91: February 1, 2013  
****9:30 pm (Cairo)  
**_**USS Boxer**_

Chuck and Sarah were flown to the _USS Boxer_, a helicopter carrier, operating in the Red Sea. Seal Teams Five and Seven had already arrived and were prepping to move out. They were introduced as Agent Walker and Agent Carmichael and the Seals seemed to accept that.

As they briefed the teams, however, they noticed the sidelong glances several of the men exchanged. They knew why: these were hardened, battle-tested veterans, and did not know these two CIA agents. How, they wondered, could the tall, gangly guy, and extraordinarily beautiful woman lead this mission? But their commanders had each received a call from Colonel Casey to reassure them. "These are the two best agents alive," he had told them. "Trust them with your lives, and protect them with yours."

But still….

The Q and A session went smoothly and everyone seemed satisfied. As the briefing broke up, Sgt. Neil Tristan, a man who would make Casey seem svelte, walked up to Chuck and Sarah, and introduced himself. "I'm going to be with you onboard the freighter. I talked to Casey; he says you two know what you're doing … hope so. Is there anything else I need to know?"

Sarah shook his hand, saying, "Nice to meet you sergeant. It should all be in the brief, but please don't hesitate to ask if something puzzles you. And, we are open to your suggestions, as well."

"Thank you. Have either of you boarded a moving ship from a Zodiac before?"

"I have," Sarah answered, "but Agent Carmichael has not." After watching a shadow pass across Tristan's face, she added: "But he's pretty adaptable."

Chuck's eyes had bugged out as he heard her so nonchalantly say she had done this before. Is there anything she can't do … or hasn't done? Then he grinned: the grin of a man who was very proud of his bride.

"Okay. But if you get in trouble out there, there isn't much anyone can do to help. Just so you know." Sgt. Tristan turned to walk away. Then he turned back to them: "It's obvious you two have something going. Don't let it get in the way of the mission." He punctuated each of the words with a finger poke towards them before he turned and, this time, walked out of the briefing room.

Leaning into her ear Chuck whispered, "Well, isn't he just warm and fuzzy? Just like Casey used to be."

Sarah chuckled lightly, and whispered back, "It's okay, Chuck. We'll just have to show him what we can do." She patted him on the arm and smiled, sending tingles up his arm and right down to his toes. He suddenly found it hard to speak and could only smile back.

They had lucked out with the new moon and a perfectly calm sea. While the latter made their trip smoother (Chuck had been on dramamine since prior to setting out for the _Boxer!_), it also heightened the possibility of early discovery by enhancing sound transmission. But these were pros and the approach went off without a hitch. Chuck flashed just as the Navy helmsman brought the Zodiac along side, matching the freighter's speed. Sarah was instantly moving up the side, followed by Chuck and then Sgt. Tristan. The sergeant was taken aback with the speed and ease at which the two agents moved up and over the railing.

According to their sources in Port Said, there was a crew of only eight aboard and were lightly armed. The Somali's didn't want anyone to wonder why such a small time freighter would be carrying a larger crew or heavy munitions. Anonymity was the key to their success; or so they thought.

Moving swiftly and soundlessly, they entered the first hatchway, and followed the stairs down two decks. From the schematics of the freighter, which Morgan had supplied prior to their leaving the safe house in Cairo, they knew there was a machinist mates' office at this level, which would be unoccupied on this trip. If all went well, no one would come down to this part of the ship. They unpacked their weapons, and the explosives they were going to plant in order to scuttle the ship if necessary. Once that was done, they would move into the holds to sabotage as many weapons as possible, and confirm the presence of the nuclear weapons. It was going to be a long night.

**Scene 92: February 1, 2013  
****9:02 pm  
****Somali Desert Camp**

Casey moved quickly into the camp, dispatching any enemy soldiers that appeared; he knew the rest of the team was doing the same. They all knew it was a risk to come in with this much firepower before confirming Verbanski's exact location, but it was the only way to ascertain a quick victory; a prolonged fight would only lead to failure to overrun, and destroy, the camp. It was hoped that, through the coded message, she would anticipate the attack and keep her head down.

Each man was assigned a set of tents and/or buildings to secure. Casey was freelancing, ready to roam wherever he was needed, and, first and foremost, to find Gertrude as quickly as possible. He figured Gertrude would move to the backside of the tents and move as quickly as possible to the largest tent. In her position, he would assume that would be where Giordano would be.

He moved quickly to the back set of tents on the far left of the semicircle, and began working his way back towards the center. As he came around the arc he saw three figures ahead. One was prone, one was down but being pulled up from behind by the third: a slight figure that Casey immediately recognized.

As he slowed, at the next opening in the tent line, he saw the man on the ground rise up, and start to move towards the other two, while raising his right hand above his head. It didn't take a genius to know he had a knife. Casey smoothly dropped to one knee, brought his rifle up, calmly sighted the target and gently squeezed the trigger. Almost in slow motion, he watched as the shot traveled straight and true, reaching the target just as the knife hand began to descend. Montez' head simply ceased to exist and his body fell harmlessly forward, onto the other two.

He was up and running once again. Even over the din of the battle Casey could hear the second man up ahead screaming. As he ran up to the scene, Gertrude Verbanski dropped her hold on Giordano's head and jumped into Casey's free arm. "John Casey. You certainly know how to show a girl a good time." And then she was eagerly kissing him, despite his helmet, camouflage paint, weapons, and the man at her feet.

Giordano was whimpering now. His mind kept telling him to crawl away, while they were distracted with each other, but his arms and legs just wouldn't move.

They had only just let go of each other when the sounds of gunfire ceased. There were still small explosions, as munitions continued to be set off by the fires, but the battle was over. The Apaches had closed in, continuing to keep surveillance and taking out any hotspots that developed. Now, the two Blackhawks were coming in to pick up the teams. _VCorp_ had suffered only a couple of superficial wounds and no casualties.

Verbanski moved over to Giordano once again and he curled up into the fetal position. "Oh, get up, you coward. Not so easy to be a smart ass now, is it?"

"You said they wouldn't come in blasting away," he whimpered.

"Yeah. Well … I lied. Now get up. You're coming with us."

"No, I will not."

"Ungh!" Tossing his rifle to Gertrude, Casey moved over to him and easily lifted him up and into a fireman's carry. They set out quickly towards the helicopters.

Trailing behind him, all Gertrude could do was watch Casey's butt and softly hum to herself. They had been too long apart. _Going to be nice to get home_.

Then she had a quick thought and changed direction. She ran back to the main, center tent, which was beginning to burn. She entered the front and was immediately hit by smoke and heat. Crawling down the center she looked right and left until she finally found what she was looking for: tied to a bed was the young girl that had served them meals throughout their captivity. Her eyes were watering heavily and it was getting harder to concentrate, but she made it over to the girl and quickly untied her. She threw the girl over her shoulder: being so thin and malnourished, she was no burden for Verbanski. They barely made it out before the tent collapsed in a shower of burning debris.

When Casey arrived at the helicopter, her threw Giordano inside and then turned to help Gertrude. But she wasn't there. In a panic, he was just starting back towards the camp when he saw her coming, carrying something. He ran towards her, and then realized what … no, who … she had rescued. All he could do was shake his head as he took the girl under one arm and Gertrude under the other.

They climbed aboard and the helicopter quickly lifted off. It had taken nine minutes for the complete destruction of the camp and rescue of Verbanski.

**Scene 93: February 2, 2013  
****2:30 am  
****Somali freighter, Red Sea**

They had climbed all through the lower decks of the freighter, and were exhausted. Chuck had also gotten the GPS comm link up with Morgan at _CI_. But it had taken longer than they thought to get the explosives distributed, and were yet to get to the holds to look at the weapons. They were back in the Mate's office, grabbing a bite of MRE's and washing it down with lots of water.

"I told you the timetable was too tight." Tristan was tired and irritable, taking it out, mostly on Sarah.

She just looked at him with her angry, spy face glare. He tried not to let it show, but he was definitely intimidated. It was embarrassing, but there was something lethal lurking beneath the surface of that woman.

Chuck, however, was less willing to let it go with just a stare. "You've been riding us since the briefing, sergeant. We've been doing this a long time … okay, maybe not as long as you ... but nevertheless, we know what we are doing. If the job is too tough for you, maybe you need to call your Seal buddies to come rescue you from a girl and a nerd."

Tristan began to bristle as Sarah reached out to put her hand on Chuck's shoulder. She gave him a gentle squeeze and he stopped, throwing the last of his food into a trashcan. She turned back to the sergeant and unleashed one of her heart-stopping, melt-a-man smiles. "We knew it was tight, sergeant, but there is extra time built into the end of the trip. We're all tired. Let's just get the job done."

Sgt. Tristan was completely caught unawares as her smile slammed into him. He had run missions all over the world, used every weapons known to man, but he had never seen anything like that smile. What a weapon she possessed! It was suddenly hard to breath and it took all of his training not to show just how flummoxed he was feeling. "I'm sorry," he gasped out. "If we had been able to do any training together I would feel better. I trust Casey so I will just have to trust you, too. Just not used to being led around by CIA spies."

"Sergeant, we have a job to do and are all very competent. We're doing fine. Let's just stay focused, watch each others' six, and get it done right." Chuck stood up while saying this, then held out his hand to Tristan. Taking it in his big paw, Tristan allowed Chuck to pull him up and they shook on it.

Chuck turned and gave Sarah a hand up as well. Grabbing her pack, she said, "Let's go gentlemen. We've got weapons to sabotage."

They quickly found the aft hold and entered, finding it full of crates of varying sizes and shapes. Pulling out two handheld scanners, hand one to the sergeant. They began checking the codes, calling off the information to Sarah, who checked off each weapon they identified.

**Scene 94. February 1, 2013  
****10:18 pm (Cairo)  
****Staging camp, Somalia**

The choppers flew off shore, over the Gulf of Aden, in order to avoid detection. This had been their route into Somalia, and they were going back out to rendezvous with Seal Teams Five and Seven. The Apaches left them to return to the carrier when the additional Blackhawks rendezvoused with them. They returned to the coast, about 25 klicks west of Boosaaso, where the satellites had identified a valley large enough to hide the men and their four choppers until the teams were needed.

A team of Rangers had already landed and set up a makeshift camp. Fuel, munitions, and even a field kitchen, had been brought in and were ready for them when they landed. Col. Bob Hastings was in command and met Casey and Verbanski as they came off the helicopter.

As soon as they had landed Casey and Gertrude were escorted to Hastings' tent. She had wanted to accompany the young girl, who was unconscious now, but was shooed away by a medic. He promised to let her know once they assessed the girl's condition. Casey made the introductions, and despite the hour, a meal was laid out for them. They ate ravenously, with little conversation. Once she finished eating, Gertrude asked if there was a shower, and was shown out by a rather young-looking First Lieutenant.

After she was gone Hastings looked at Casey for a long moment and then commented: "Been a long time, Casey. How did you get into this mess?"

"I work for _Verbanski Corp_ now. We got hired to run security into Swinbitia and got caught in something. It's not over yet. You been read in on it?"

"Heard you'd gone private; didn't believe it at first." After a pause while the two men sized each other up, he continued, "I have, but not my men. Just came here to run supplies for your mission. Do we tell them?"

"Pick your best four. Make sure they're ready to go. It could get dicey."

"Soooo … are you and … uh … Ms. Verbanski…."

"Ungh ... we are together. Just leave it at that." Casey glared at him.

Hastings looked at Casey with a smile and shook his head. Gertrude came back in just then, dressed in slightly too large fatigues, her hair still wet. "That really felt good. Thank you Colonel. Casey, you want to catch a shower?"

"Did you check on the girl?"

"Yeah. She's doing okay, considering her overall condition. The medics think she will be alright. I need to figure out what to do with her now."

"Ungh!" Casey grimaced at her, and then got back to business: "Bob, there are some communication protocols we need set up. Can you and Gertrude get that done?"

"We're on it."

Although he had not gone as long as Gertrude between showers, this one felt really good, after all the sand he picked up during the insertion and battle. But all his thoughts were on Gertie. He hadn't wanted to admit how worried he had been so he could concentrate on the rescue. No lady-feelings for him. But now, with her safely back, he really wanted to take her in his arms and not let go. But he wasn't going to give the Seals or Rangers any PDA to talk about. They had embraced and kissed when they initially met back at the camp, but once they headed to the choppers, that was it: they were both all business.

Walking into the comm tent he heard Gertrude talking to someone. From this end of the conversation it appeared to be Beckman. "I don't know. We haven't been here long enough for me to know the plan. Here's Casey if you want to talk to him." Gertrude motioned for him to come up to the mic. As he came closer she smiled, gave his bottom a quick squeeze, then put her arm around his waist. "Beckman," she whispered.

"General, everything went as planned, with no _VCorp_ casualties. How soon do you expect to hear from the Bartowski's?"

"It should happen any time now. Everything is progressing as planned: they are onboard the freighter, and it is continuing on the expected course. There is plenty of leeway in the timetable, depending on what they run into out there. Everyone else needs to get as much rest as possible, so you can move at a moment's notice."

"Yes, ma'am." Beckman broke the connection. Behind him, he heard Gertrude snort. "What?"

"You've been out of the service for a year and you still act like she's your commanding officer." Seeing his glower, she backed off, "Sorry, Casey. I know … you're still military through and through." She paused and smiled at him, "You know I love that about you, right?"

"Ungh! Let's get some sleep." And he turned and walked out.

Once in their tent, Gertrude grabbed Casey's hand and spun him around. Coming nose to nose, she held him tightly, until she could feel the tension start to drain out of him. She knew he was single-minded when on a mission, and this one had had the extra strain of them being apart. He brought his arms around her waist and lifted her up so their heads were level. Their eyes met and the deep smoldering emotions they both had held in for so long, came roaring to the surface. She grabbed his hair as their lips crushed against each other and they were completely lost in each other for several long minutes.

They were both too professional to do more than enjoy the feeling of being back together. This was definitely not the time or place to fulfill their mutual desires; but their feelings were too strong to not have taken this opportunity to be close.

"Ungh. We're turning into Walker and Bartowski. Can't keep our hands off each other."

"And this is a bad thing?"

"No. No, not bad at all."

"Okay, as much as I want more, we need to get back to work. Fill me in, Casey. What the hell is going on?"

Casey spent the next hour or so filling her in on what had happened, what they had learned, and the plan that was now in progress. She was surprised, then amazed, shocked, followed by disgusted. The whole thing seemed so preposterous and yet, in this world, nothing should really surprise her. Her reaction to the Bartowski's boarding the freighter was the same as Casey's, but she had to grudgingly admit, it was the only way to go. She silently thought about their friends and willed them to be safe.

"Okay, Casey, looks like we just have to sit and wait. It's 0130 now so let's get some sleep. Then I want to interrogate Giordano."

That should be fun, thought Casey, as they lay together and let sleep overcome their exhausted minds and bodies.

**Scene 95. February 2, 2013  
****Noon (Cairo)  
****Somali freighter**

It took nearly six hours to get through the two aft holds. Each contained a massive quantity of weapons, and they had to scan each and every crate. But they found no nuclear bombs.

As they finished each hold, they placed two canisters of a corrosive gas, especially developed by the CIA, just inside the hatches. The gas would fill the hold, seeping into the crates, where it would react with the shipping lubricants that coated each weapon. This would corrode the working mechanisms completely, rendering the weapons useless. Each canister had a five minute timer, so the team had plenty of time to exit and lock down the watertight hatches.

They then moved to the forward holds. They had to move very carefully past midships, as the crew quarters were located in this section of the ship. They met no one, however, and once they arrived at the forward hold doors, they took a break, ate more MRE's, and tried to get their tired and sore muscles to relax.

It was nearing noon before they completed their work. Once again, they found lots of weapons, but no nukes. It was frustrating, but at least they were going to destroy a shipload of weapons bound for terrorists. With the gas canisters in place, they sealed the hatches, and took a break. They were coming to the most dangerous part of their mission so far: if the crew became alerted to their presence it could spell the end of the mission … and their lives.

Sgt. Tristan had grown silent while they were in the forward holds. It was clear he still didn't agree with the plan, but he wasn't in charge. That also rankled him, but he had to admit, the two CIA spies were good at what they did. But now, the mission could go south in a hurry, and not being an experienced team could be the difference between success and failure. _Maybe I'm getting too old for this kind of thing_. It wasn't the first time he'd had this thought today.

While eating, before moving back to midship, they discussed the lack of nukes so far. "Do you think they are crazy enough to put them all together in one hold? Seems pretty dangerous to me."

"Probably not that much more dangerous. In fact, they may have wanted to keep them away from the other munitions in case there was an accident. Bullets or rockets cutting into a nuclear weapon could cause a lot of radiation and/or set off the reaction leading to detonation."

"Or, because the nukes are headed to separate locations, they probably separated them for more efficient unloading and dispersal once in port. Don't overestimate these pirates, you two. They are still pretty much uneducated amateurs."

"Sergeant, these 'uneducated amateurs', as you call them, have planned and executed the theft of a ship full of everything from small arms to ship-to-ship missiles to nuclear weapons. The planners of all this are college graduates and even ex-CIA/NSA agents. Better to overestimate them than be caught off guard … again."

"Okay, Agent Walker, if you say so. Let's get this done."

Chuck and Sarah looked deeply into each others' eyes as they stood and prepared to move out. The sergeant was definitely being a pain, and they were both nervous about how this would play out if they ran into trouble. They would be watching each others' six, but he was getting to be a big distraction. A small grin appeared briefly on Chuck's face, and he could see the sparkle in Sarah's eyes; they were both on the same page and completely in sync. But the joy didn't last long as they dropped back into full spy mode and moved through the passageway.

Chuck opened the hatch leading into the port side hold. Before he could step through Tristan tapped him on the shoulder. Through hand signals, he indicated he was going into the starboard hold. Sarah vehemently shook her head, but he had already disappeared through the hatch. Chuck and Sarah just looked at one another. Then both shrugged and entered the port hold. At least, by working both holds at once, it should speed up the process.

There were only nine large crates in this hold. The tracking codes confirmed that these were all nuclear weapons; probably the nine scheduled to be shipped to the terrorists' camp for future use. They quietly opened each crate and attached shielded GPS trackers to each. Chuck had adapted these trackers to not be affected, in case there were any radiation leaks. They both had radiation badges, and continuously checked each other. So far, so good.

Because they had to work slowly, in order to avoid making any noise that might attract the crew, it took almost two hours to open the crates, attach the tracker, and then reseal them. Just as they were starting to close the final one Sarah thought she heard a strange noise outside the hold. Leaning in closely, she whispered into Chuck's ear: "Honey, I think I heard something outside. I'm going to go check it out while you finish here." He looked up at her in alarm but she continued, "Don't worry, I won't do anything without you." Her smile was electric, and relaxed him enough that he didn't protest.

Taking out her gun, she eased over to the main hatch and, while staying in the shadows, looked out into the passageway. She didn't see anything but needed to get closer. Just as she started to move closer to the opening, she heard a moan that sounded like Sgt. Tristan.

Leaning out, just enough to look to her left, she saw the sergeant laying on the floor grating. She saw him blink in warning, but before she could move back into the hold, someone grabbed her gun and right arm, yanking her into the passageway. Another set of arms grabbed her shoulders from behind and shoved her across the passageway, into the starboard hold.

Sgt. Tristan saw the two men thrust her into the other hold, followed by a third man. He grimaced, knowing that was the last he would see of that CIA spy. Hopefully they would kill her outright rather than keep her alive for other purposes.


	22. Nukes and Knives

A/N: Just a reminder that there is a ten hour difference between Cairo and Burbank. The timeline is pretty stable now as long as you keep track of that little detail. I have to continue to thank all of you who are reading this little tale, and especially to those commenting. The conversations we have had are most enlightening, entertaining, and inspiring.

I hope all those important officials of Warner Bros., NBC, and Chuck, understand the fun we all have with this and there is no disrespect intended. If so, please call off the lawyers.

**XXII. Nukes and Knives**

**Scene 96: February 2, 2013  
****1:00 pm (Cairo)  
****Staging Camp, Somalia**

"Well, well, well … Ambassador." Gertrude dripped sarcasm all over his title, knowing it would really make him mad. "I hope you are enjoying the amenities. Have the Rangers taken care of your every little need this morning?" She continued the sarcasm as she echoed the sentiments expressed to her and Casey while being held by this bandit.

"Go to hell … woman."

**Earlier….**

Casey and Verbanski had been allowed to sleep until 0830. Lt. Jacobs, Gertrude's guide from the night before, woke them, waited for them to dress, and then took them to the mess tent. All the Seals and Rangers were there as well, using the time to check and clean their weapons. The smell of gun oil, and cleaning solutions was ambrosia to them both. Once they had their coffee, black and bitter for both of course, they knew they were back in civilization.

They spent the morning with the teams, reviewing and fine tuning their plans. The seasoned veterans brought several good suggestions to the table and adjustments were made. Soon it was lunch time and the Seals and Rangers began exchanging stories, each trying to out do the other. Casey finally had to step in and remind the men that they were getting into classified territory. The stories then turned to shore leave and the race was on once again.

Catching his eye, Gertrude motioned for Casey to join her. She was already outside before he caught up to her and he knew she was itching to talk to Giordano.

**And Now….**

"Be that as it may … and I'm sure you will proceed me in that trip … it's time for us to have a little conversation."

"I have nothing to say to you, _puttana_." He spit at her shoes with the last word, whereupon Casey punched him, breaking his nose. Blood was quickly running into his mouth.

"Easy, Casey. Not the first time I've been called that." She grabbed a towel and shoved it into his face, eliciting a scream of pain. "Oh, so sorry. Did that hurt?"

"Now, look, we can continue to hurt you, or you can be civil and talk to us. Walters has already spilled the beans so you…."

"No! He would not do that. You are lying!"

Casey chimed in now, "Let's see, he and Victoria Ryker cooked this all up: pull the attention of the CIA away by kidnapping Ms. Verbanski, steal a bunch of weapons, including some nukes, detonate three of them, blaming the US. Keep the rest for future fun. Have I left anything out, _signore_?" More sarcasm….

As Casey recited all this, Giordano's face went flushed to pale and he was gasping for breath. All he could do was gasp, "How … how … how?"

"Let's just say Casey and Agent Walker can be very persuasive, Giordano." Verbanski threw this at him and his head snapped up to stare at her at the mention of Sarah. "So, you ready to talk now?"

"It doesn't seems like there's much I can tell you."

"Why us?"

"We truly hoped you would want to join us." He was really sniveling now. "With our unlimited funds, and your expertise, we would have become a formidable force, as well as a very lucrative partnership for each of us."

"So … for all the research you did on us, you didn't catch that Casey is the ultimate patriot, a man of impeccable morals when it comes to love of country? Or that I'm not one to betray contacts and confidences, especially with all I have built up in recent years? Maybe you aren't so smart after all." Gertrude was right in Giordano's face now, practically growling at him, and wanting so much to smash him in the face over and over.

Giordano was trying to hold his head up in defiance, but defeat was obvious in his eyes. "What are you going to do with me?"

"Ungh ... taking you back to the UN ... fulfill our contract. It's going to be great to see the humiliation you are going to endure!"

The light had completely gone out of his eyes now and he sagged against his restraints. His only thought now was of how to end his life ... and hopefully take these two with him.

**Scene 97: February 2, 2013  
****4:00 am (LA)  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Morgan was beside himself. He had heard from Casey hours ago and was relieved that they had rescued Gertrude. But since then, there had been no word from anyone. He knew Casey and the Seal Teams were staging for the next step in the plan. He also knew that Chuck and Sarah were aboard the freighter … much to his annoyance. They were suppose to send a signal when all the weapons were accounted for and the nukes were ready for tracking. According to the plan that should have all been done by now.

But there was nothing….

He was overjoyed that Casey and Verbanski were back together safely, but he was still very uncomfortable around her. He was still embarrassed by his behavior and attitude, back when he was the Intersect, and had worked for her. He had been such a total ass back then. Leaving _Carmichael Industries_, stealing their big assignment, breaking up with Alex … by text! … and treating everyone as inferiors, had been the lowest point in his whole life; and that was saying a lot.

Fortunately, with time, and regaining most of his memory, his friends had forgiven him. Most importantly, Alex had finally forgiven him.

But he rarely spoke to Verbanski. She had forced him to take her to Castle once, and they had worked together to help Casey escape prison. But he never initiated the meetings, or even any conversation. Later, when she and Casey visited Chuck in the hospital, he had avoided her like the plague. He was still convinced she was going to take him by the throat and squeeze the life out of him. And, he admitted, he deserved it. Casey and Alex both tried to get him to join them for dinner on their visits to Burbank, but he refused every time. What would he say? How could he sit at the same table with her? Even thinking about it now, over a year later, brought on a bout of nausea.

The monitor beeped, bringing him back to the here and now. It was his secure link to Casey so he opened it, "Boy, Casey. I was really starti…." He came to a screeching halt as he realized he was not looking at Casey, but rather, Verbanski. "Oh … uh, yeah … whoa, whoa, whoa … so good … uh, hi … good to see you Gertr … er, uh … Ms. Verbanski. How are you feeling?"

"Nice to see you, too, Mr. Grimes … Morgan. I just wanted to call and say thank you for all you have done for this mission. Casey has filled me in. You have played a significant role."

"You're welcome, ma'am. Glad you have survived safe and sound. Really didn't want to see how Casey would react, if you hadn't."

With a smile and chuckle, Gertrude continued, "I'm sure that wouldn't have been a pretty sight. Morgan, we haven't really talked since you left _VCorp_. I want you to know there are no hard feelings; I know the Intersect placed you in terrible danger."

"Thank you, Ms. Verbanski. I app…."

Gertrude once again interrupted: "Please, Morgan, we are practically family. Call me Gertrude. Now, before Casey returns, have you heard anything from Chuck and Sarah?"

"No, ma'… uh, Gertrude. And I'm getting plenty worried."

"But as far as you know, everything is still on schedule?"

"Weeellllllll … we had expected to hear from them by now. However, there was a lot of leeway built in because of all the unknowns. The freighter is right on schedule, the teams with you are prepped and ready, and we have assets on the ground in Boosaaso."

"Alright. Keep us on top of things and I look forward to seeing you and Alex when this is all over." She broke the connection and left Morgan staring at the screen with his mouth open.

"Well, wasn't that sweet?"

"AHHHHH!" Morgan jumped completely out of his chair as Alex moved across the room. Reaching him, she moved in close, wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him fully on the lips. It took a moment for Morgan's heart to come back to normal before he could respond to her embrace.

As their lips pulled apart Alex giggled, "Sorry for eavesdropping, love, but I couldn't resist. It really was sweet of Gertrude to call you."

"So you heard it all?"

"I was just coming in when I heard her voice so I stopped to listen. It was important that you talk to her so you can start to feel more comfortable with her. You know: we could all be related someday." Her smile spoke volumes and she giggled as his eyes popped open to their fullest while, yet again, he gasped and grabbed his chest.

"Oh … oh … oh … Alex. Whew! Careful there. You could give me a heart attack!"

"Okay." She knew talk like that always sent Morgan into spasms of coughs and choked breathing, but she did so like teasing him. "Moving on: so we haven't heard anything from Chuck and Sarah?"

"No, and it's not like Chuck to just leave us high and…." His statement was interrupted by a series of beeps from the computer. "YES! Look: that's the GPS trackers coming online from the nukes on the ship. Wow! So, at least, we know they are alive and still working. Come on Chuck, call in; let us know all is well."

Alex' heart rate shot up and she wrapped her arms around Morgan once again, feeling relief at knowing their friends were alive. But she also knew they were still in serious danger.

**Scene 98: February 2, 2013  
****2:00 pm (Cairo)  
****Freighter, Red Sea**

Tristan moved into the hold quickly, before Carmichael or Walker could stop him. That woman was amazingly strong willed and would have argued about not separating. The nukes had to be here, and he wanted this done.

The hold was about half full, with the same style crates as in the other holds. He also found three larger crates, that he was prepared to bet the house, were the nukes. He lost track of time as he worked to inventory all the smaller crates first. He walked around the corner of the final stack to be checked ... and ran right into the butt of a rifle. He remained conscious only long enough to register two men standing over him.

When he came to, he realized he was lying in the passageway, with both hands and feet bound tightly. The pain in his head was almost overwhelming but he was aware enough to know that his handgun and knife were gone. Before he could stop himself, he let out a low moan. _I wonder if the others have been caught yet?_

Then he saw a hand and arm, a decidedly female arm, emerge from the port hatch. He wanted to warn her but couldn't get his voice to work on demand. He began blinking as rapidly as possible, hoping she would see it as a warning.

As she emerged into the passageway he saw her look at him, but before she could react, a man came forward and grabbed her arm. As her whole body was pulled into the passageway, a second man grabbed her from behind and together, they shoved her into the other hold. Tristan grimaced, knowing what was going to happen to her now.

A third man ran into the hold, where the sounds of blows landing was obvious. _At least they are going to beat her first; hopefully she will lose consciousness quickly._ He grimaced with regret over what was happening to her now.

Suddenly, one of the men came flying out of the hatch backwards, and slammed into the opposite wall. As he started to slide downward, a knife whistled out the doorway, and lodged in his throat. He was dead before he completed the slide to the floor.

Sgt. Tristan's eyes bugged out when he saw a second man, bleeding profusely, emerge from the hatch at a dead run. Again a knife came flying out, catching him in the back of the knee, severing the tendons and bringing him down in heap. He writhed in pain, screaming. But it didn't last long as a booted foot shot from the port hatch and caught him squarely on the temple. Another one down!

A fourth man had been standing behind Tristan and he now ran to join the fray. After kicking the man on the deck, Carmichael had disappeared back into the port hold, so this guard headed that direction. But just as he was coming to the hatch a pair of feet came flying out, pounding him in the chest, and knocking the wind out of him as he fell backwards. Tristan started to head butt him but thought better of it, considering he had been knocked unconscious himself, not too long ago. It didn't really matter because the Somali struck his head on the floor grating hard enough to render himself unconscious.

A moment later, Agent Walker emerged from the starboard hold, just as Carmichael was starting to enter. In each others' arms already, they embraced and exchanged a passionate kiss, before turning towards Tristan. They both smiled at the strange look on his face; a look of amazement and bewilderment. _How in the world did they do that?_

They moved quickly to his side and Walker pulled yet another knife from her boot top. Tristan had never seen a knife quite like it, but could tell it was extremely sharp and, like it's two predecessors, very lethal. She cut his bindings and together they helped him sit up.

"How … how … how?" He seemed to be having trouble forming a sentence.

"Don't talk sergeant. Here, drink some water." As he drank, Carmichael was looking at his head wound and Walker ran back into the port hold to get the med kit. Together they cleaned up the wound and wrapped a bandage around his head.

"Chuck, let's get these guys into the hold and tied up. No, sergeant, you sit there and try to relax. We've got this." His amazement was growing by the minute. These two moved like one; she had taken on three ruthless mercenaries and easily dispatched them all, and now, they were caring for him like it was just another day at the office. _Who are these people?_

When they returned, they lifted the sergeant to his feet and guided him into the port hold. His head was not spinning quite as fast and the strength was returning to his legs. Once inside they all sat on the weapons' crates and Sarah addressed him: "Sgt. Tristan, do you feel like talking?" At his nod, she continued, "We found nine nukes in here and have them tagged. What did you find in the other hold?"

"I checked and catalogued all the regular weapons crates. There are three more in there, that appear to be nukes, but I got clobbered before I could check them out. Sorry, I got caught unawares."

"Not a problem … happens to the best of us." (_Bet it doesn't happen to them,_ was all Tristan could think.) "Okay, so you stay here, and Sarah and I will go take care of the nukes."

They started to stand but he waved them back down. "Come on you two, you can't leave me hanging: what just happened here?"

"Sergeant, we've been together, working for the CIA, for six years, and this is pretty much SOP for us. That's really all we can tell you. Oh, and John Casey was our partner for five years." Sarah smiled at him again; not a big smile, but it was still enough to take his breath away.

"But, but … you took on three … and the knives …."

"Sorry, Sarge, that's all above your pay grade. Come on Sarah, let's get this finished."

Tristan took another drink of water as they left and just shook his head. _He's a geek, she's a super ninja, and they're together. Damn … lucky bastard!_

**Scene 99: February 2, 2013  
****10:00 am (Cairo)  
****Mogadishu, Somalia**

"What!? Are you telling me the camp was completely destroyed and Giordano and Montez are now missing? How could this happen? We've given you millions of dollars in weapons and supplies and someone just walked in, wiped out 1000 troops, all their equipment, and waltzed back out?" It had been almost twelve hours since the attack on the camp and only now were reports trickling in.

Victoria Ryker was in her compound in Mogadishu. She and Walters had developed, and fine tuned, their plan right in this room. It had seemed so simple and foolproof: kidnap a few UN officials, who just happened to be compatriots, draw the attention of the security world away, go to Cairo and steal several million dollars of weapons, including nuclear weapons, use those weapons to destroy a refuge camp and two major cities and ports, blame the US and Russia. It really was a simple plan, and would leave the whole world eating out of their hands. Tel Aviv, Tokyo, London, and Washington would come crawling, begging them to spare their sorry asses, or be similarly destroyed. They would try to fight back, but the nuclear bombs would already be in place. Easy pickings!

And then … on top of everything else … they scored a huge bonus when one of the kidnapped security people was John Casey, a longtime associate of that bitch, Sarah Walker. She had always known she would someday be able to exact her revenge on the murderer of her dear brother, and here it was, dropped right in her lap. She would be able to complete the plan to use the child to steal all that money, making the bitch watch as she killed the girl. Then she would watch the light of life go out in the bitch's eyes, as she realized complete defeat and finally death.

But something went wrong. No one could tell her what happened, but the situation at _Conglomérat Delta_ blew up in their faces. Nor had her lover, Walters, returned to the camp; whether he was alive or not, she did not know. Giordano was the only one to make it back from that trip, and he had not seen Walters when he escaped. The plan was still working though: they had been able to steal the weapons and ship them out of Port Said. But someone was on to them. But who? How much did they know?

Now, the camp where everything was to be staged, had been destroyed. Walters had not been found, Giordano had not been found, and most of their support troops were gone.

Victoria Ryker, _L'ange Venger_, _The Revenging Angel_, as her husband, Sharam Raage, had named her, had always been a strong, independent, extremely cruel, woman. Her older brother, Kierran, was always warmer and more understanding, and had joined the CIA out of a sense of patriotism. She had joined a year later, only because she knew she could use the training, knowledge, and contacts to advance her desire to rule a big piece of the world. She had been dismissed, in disgrace, after only a year in the service.

After years of relatively insignificant assignments, Victoria finally convinced Kierran that the CIA was just using him. He had risen through the ranks, but much more slowly than agents with similar resumes. She told him it was because they held a grudge towards her, and persuaded him it was time to get his reward for all he had given them. Gradually he turned to the bitter, self-centered view she had used her whole life, and she knew he was ready to turn. Working on a plan to gain access to the riches of a Hungarian businessman, she came to him, knowing he was finally ready to succumb to her villainy.

At the time, his assignment was as handler to new young gun, a Sarah Walker, the best agent to join the CIA in many years. She was a loner herself, and he knew she would do as she was told. Once the assignment was completed, she would be offered the opportunity to join them … or be dispatched … violently. His days as a CIA lackey were over. But somehow she grew a conscience and escaped with the intended victim. The trail went instantly cold and her report to Langley ended his CIA career. As a wanted man now, he joined his sister, and the _Arann'te, _moving into the dark world of pirates and mercenaries.

Until last year, that is, when an old CIA acquaintance, Daniel Shaw, sent them information on the child. Although the money would be a nice addition to their coffers, it was revenge on the bitch that consumed Kierran. Once again Walker interfered with their plans, this time killing Kierran.

_L'ange Venger _would have her head … literally … brutally ... but not quickly.

And she now had the means to disgrace, not only Walker and the CIA, but all of Washington. _L'ange Venger _would not be denied.

The phone rang once again, startling her back to the present. While she had been thinking about her brother's demise, she had been crumpling the papers on her desk with a death grip, her fingers turning white as she squeezed the blood out of them. It took two tries for her fingers to relax enough to snatch up the receiver: "What?" She listened intently for several moments and then slammed it down without comment.

"Freakin' neanderthals! Is there no one in this God forsaken country that knows what's going on?" Her screams echoed around the room. She picked up the phone again and viciously punched in several numbers. It took several moments for anyone to answer and when they did, they were probably sorry, because they received a blistering earful. She let them know, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted the latest intel on her desk within the hour, and it better include the status of the freighter, and the locations of Walters and Giordano.

Forty-five minutes later three men entered her office. She knew their faces but had never bother to learn their names. That was a detail she felt was beneath her; it's why Walters had been so important to her: he was that kind of detail man.

"What do you have for me," she snapped?

"_L'ange Venger_, as you know, we do not have the most sophisticated communications systems, so information is slowly trickling in. But we do know this: the freighter is still on course and should arrive in port on time. All the onshore workers are ours, so the weapons will be unloaded quickly. The transportation teams are all there as well, and ready to move the weapons immediately."

The second man then spoke up, "We are getting some reports from the camp: they think they have found Montez' dead. The body is carrying his identification but there is some uncertainty because he took a direct shot to the back of the head. One of the wounded told us he saw Giordano and the woman … Verbanski … being loaded onto one of the assault helicopters. Of the few left alive, no one has seen Mr. Walters since he left for the trip to _DeltaCon_.

"If I may: it was originally speculated that Walters was killed at _DeltaCon_. However, if he was captured and broken, that would explain how the plan may have broken down."

"NO!" _L'ange Venger _slammed the desk with her hand and jumped to her feet. All three men backed away several steps. "He could not have been broken. _DeltaCon _is where things began to go wrong, so they knew something prior to his capture. If they know the whole plan why haven't they stopped the freighter, or gone public, to justify a military response. No, I will not believe this to be true." Saying this, she realized that she was saying he must be dead; this both saddened and enraged her. He had been a good lover.

"We also have a report of six helicopters leaving Somali airspace after the raid, heading out to sea. However, it was impossible to ID these aircraft." This came from the third man who said this quickly and quietly. All three men seemed cowed by _L'ange Venger,_ and looked like they would prefer to be just about anywhere but in this room.

"Is there any indication how this attack came about, and who the perpetrators were?" She was still standing but her voice was back to normal: icy and demanding.

All three men shook their heads, but remained silent.

"So the bottom line is: we are still on track for the weapons distribution, correct?"

"Yes," they all three answered.

"Alright." She paused while reaching into her top, left desk drawer. As she looked back up, her favorite, pearl-handled, Colt .45 roared and the third man was thrown back against the wall, dead. The scream of her voice was almost as loud as the pistol: "You two are now in charge. Make sure this happens, or you get the same. Do I make myself clear?"

Two nods in the affirmative were accompanied by the rapid departure of the men.

_Now, let's see if they are capable soldiers, or just more cowards. Why can't I find competent help?_


	23. Caught

A/N: We've now hit a milestone with Scene 100 starting this chapter out. So things have reversed themselves somewhat: Casey and Verbanski are together and safe, while Chuck and Sarah, are on the freighter, _Cape Red Fear_, and in grave danger. Hope this is all keeping your interest. The timeline bounces just a bit in this one and remember the ten hour time difference from Cairo to Burbank. Italics indicate charaters' thoughts.

Insert all standard disclaimers here...

**XXIII. Caught**

**Scene ****100: February 2, 2013  
****11:00 pm  
****_Cape Red Fear_, Red Sea**

It took Chuck longer than he thought it would to get the last group of nuclear warheads checked and tagged. A couple of times they had to quickly hide as crew members came through the passageway, looking for their mates. Sarah was able to catch snippets of their conversation, and so far it was assumed the four missing men were off somewhere, either drunk or high. So far the searchers had missed the bloodstains on the wall and floor. Their luck was holding.

It was impossible for them to put the corrosive canisters in these last two holds because they didn't know how the corrosives would react with the nuclear elements of the bombs. It was too bad, but these few crates of standard weapons, even if they reached the pirates, wouldn't make much difference.

"Sergeant, do you have any suggestions?" They had been discussing how to proceed, but Sgt. Tristan hadn't contributed anything up to this point. Chuck and Sarah had exchanged several glances of concern, wondering what the problem was now. Trying a new tact, she asked their Seal partner his opinion.

"Sorry, Agents, for not contributing more ... having a little trouble focusing. Guess this concussion is worse than I thought. What's the status of the four captives?"

"Two dead; the second man bled out before we could do anything for him. The other two are tied up and hidden in the other hold. We injected them with a knockout drug that should keep them out until sometime tomorrow afternoon. Sure glad you brought that stuff, Sarah." Chuck looked at her and smiled, trying to lighten the mood just a bit. He knew Sarah had killed before, and the spy in her had no problem with that. But now, there was so much more to her than just being the CIA's best spy ... their wildcard enforcer. They hadn't talked about the deaths of these men yet, and Chuck was afraid it might be weighing on her mind.

"If we had a full Seal Team we could just take over the ship and sail it to a friendly port. Best case scenario now: the ship can be brought in with the remaining crew so they won't be too concerned about looking for these guys."

"And the worse case scenario?"

"They've called this in to their superiors, and will come looking for us, armed to the teeth. But as a betting man, I don't think that will happen."

After a few moments, as they each contemplated that idea, Sarah spoke again: "Let's work our way back aft and wait to see what they do. It's almost dark so it will be easier to get there now. We are scheduled to arrive at Boosaaso in about eleven hours." Her voice was even and strong, the sign of her spy side being in control. But she avoided direct eye contact with Chuck, a sure sign something was bothering her.

They moved through the ship without incident. Once back in their little hideaway they broke out more MRE's and water; they would all be glad to get back to civilization and real food. Sarah checked the sergeant's head wound again and pronounced it to be okay, despite both his eyes now blackening, and the headache still persistent.

"Okay. It's midnight, so we need to get some sleep. Sarah, sergeant, I'll take the first watch. I've left some sensors along the passageway and stairs to alert us to any movement. Sergeant, I'm sorry but we are going to have to wake you every hour or so, as a precaution."

Tristan just nodded and began his relaxation exercises. He had learned, long ago, to relax his body and mind through meditation. It was imperative now that he get some rest to allow his body to heal. Being interrupted throughout the night was not ideal, but was better than being dead. But he found it impossible not to watch his two partners: Agent Walker sat between Carmichael's legs, snuggling in with her back to her husband; they just melted into each other, their breathing seeming to synchronize instantly. Carmichael was gently playing with a few strands of her hair and she held his left hand, absentmindedly playing with first his, then her, left hand ring finger. _What a couple!_ And then he drifted into a foggy slumber.

As tired as Chuck was, he was wide awake. The adrenaline from the fight outside the midship holds seemed to still be pumping him up. He was pleased that the plan seemed to be working, but it was upsetting to know they had been discovered. They easily dispatched those sailors, but it could make the remaining crew suspicious. Would they come looking for them, armed, and prepared to fight? Would they place an emergency call to their compatriots? Would it change the plan to dock at Boosaaso? All questions he would just have to wait to answer.

Leaning back, onto Chuck's chest, Sarah enjoyed the physical contact. She had played with both of their ring fingers for a time, missing the beautiful bands that represented their enduring love. But her spy training kicked in quickly, and she knew she needed to take advantage of this time of rest; she quickly drifted off into sleep. It had been awhile, but she was accustomed to sleeping in odd places and with little comfort. The warmth of her husband, so close by, made this easier than ever before.

Sarah was asleep now. She had remained awake briefly, playing with their ring fingers. It brought a smile to Chuck's face even now. It had not taken long for her breathing to slow and even out, and finally, her head slumped against his chest. Even now, sweaty and dirty from all their work in the holds, she was breathtakingly beautiful, lying here, in his arms, asleep. She seemed at peace and he hoped her sleep was dream free; unless, of course, she was dreaming of the two of them ... together ... in love ... safe.

He loved the feel of her against his chest, and couldn't wait to end this crazy mission and get home. They stayed together until it was time for Chuck to wake the sergeant. He moved slowly and gently, hoping not to wake his sleeping beauty. Pulling their backpacks over, he used them to prop her up as he slid out from behind her; it wouldn't be as nice or as warm as lying in his arms, but at least it was better than the cold, hard, metal floor and wall.

Tired and aching muscles actually felt good to him; it had been a long time since he had had a workout like this. Using the time to do his stretching exercises, both for his leg and arm, he thought back to the safe house: the CIA Med Techs had given him a state-of-the-art knee brace. It was amazingly light and comfortable to wear, completely supportive, while giving him full range of motion. The Med Tech told them he had copies of the X-Rays from the Cairo Hospital and said the knee was sound, but recommended he wear the brace as a precaution. So far, with all the crawling and climbing he had done, it was working superbly.

Chuck woke Sarah at 0330 to change the watch. He had been able to stay awake, but had begun to fight it. Watching over the sergeant, who seemed to be doing fine, had helped. As she had awakened, he wrapped her in his arms and placed a gentle kiss on her temple. She had turned to put her arms around him as well and they sat together for about a minute, whispering their names, and other endearments, into each other's ears. Then she pushed herself up and did a few simple stretches. Leaning down to him, they exchanged a gentle kiss, and then she cupped his cheek, looking deeply into his eyes. After a few moments he closed his eyes and was asleep almost immediately.

"Chuck! Chuck, honey, wake up!" Sarah was gently shaking him and calling him in an urgent whisper. "Chuck! The sensors are going off. Someone is coming." Sarah had kept her mind busy, running scenarios of the plan through her head. The sergeant seemed to be resting well and she hated to wake him each time, but knew it was a necessary precaution. She had just pulled out a bottle of water when her phone vibrated, alerting her to the tripped sensors Chuck had left in the passageway.

Over the years, working with Sarah and Casey, Chuck had developed the ability to instantly be at full speed upon awakening. He wasn't quite as quick as his partners, but they had a lot more years of experience than him. Standing, he pulled out his phone and saw it was almost 0630; then checked the sensor information. They were very low level devices and didn't tell him much: the first three had signaled, and each had been triggered three times. That meant there were three people coming down the stairs, into the passageway.

Sarah silently indicated she would move down to the next hatchway, and he should move to the other side of the passageway, as there was a good vantage point, well hidden, over there. She checked the sergeant and let Chuck know that he was still asleep. They would have to leave him and hope the advancing sailors didn't find him.

She turned to go but Chuck grabbed her arm and spun her back into his arms. "I love you, Sarah," he whispered.

"Love you more," was her reply. They hugged each other tightly, then moved apart, once again putting on their spy personas. Chuck watched her move, catlike, down the passageway, and smiled: he loved to watch her move. Then he quickly moved out of the small room, and hid behind the water tanks across the way. He would be able to see down the passageway, without being seen himself; at least he hoped he wouldn't be seen.

**Scene ****101: February 3, 2013  
****4:45 am  
****Somali Desert**

Casey was awake. Having checked his watch, he knew they still had about an hour until sunrise. Verbanski was curled up next him, still asleep. He had only slept a few hours but felt better, more refreshed, than he had since they departed on the original UN mission. And he was sure he knew why: it had felt really good to be in battle again. It had been too long. Plus, he now had Gertrude back at his side. _I wonder which one refreshed me more?_

Now they had to complete the rest of the mission and get everyone home safely. If all went well, they could accomplish the mission with a minimum of gunplay, and be ready to head home in a day or two. Giordano and Walters were captured and Montez was dead, so that wrapped that end up. Morgan had called them yesterday to tell them that Chuck and Sarah had successfully tagged all the weapons and the signals were coming through strongly. Then they would have to contend with this Ryker woman, but Beckman would have the last call on that matter.

The ship was suppose to dock at around 1000 hours this morning so they, along with all the Seals, would have to be departing for their intercept points in about two hours. They figured it would take two to three hours for customs to go through the freighter's manifest and then another two hours to unload. At that point, each two man team was tasked to follow their assigned nuke, capturing it during unloading, and, hopefully, capture or kill as many of the _Arann'te _as possible. He still thought it was a risky plan because each team would be without any backup, but he hadn't come up with anything better, so here they were.

"Morning, John." Casey's grunts had awakened Gertrude but she didn't want to move. Lying next to Casey once again brought a sense of happiness she had missed. "About time we got up, isn't it? We've got bad guys to kill today."

"Ungh! That's what I love about you Gertrude: you get right to heart of the good things in life."

After exchanging a brief kiss, they embraced, laying together, enjoying the physical contact. They each had become accustomed to this and missed it … a lot ... while apart. About ten minutes later they rolled out of their sleeping bags and got dressed. They each stole furtive glances at each other, wanting to be together, but slightly embarrassed at letting their 'lady feelings', as Casey called them, interfere with mission preparations. Walking to the mess tent together, they made no attempt to make physical contact.

_I guess we aren't quite as far along as Chuck and Sarah,_ thought Casey.

_We CAN keep our personal and professional lives separate_, thought Verbanski.

As they entered the tent, one of the medics walked over to Gertrude. "Ms. Verbanski. Thought you should know that the young woman you brought in last night is improving and we expect her to regain consciousness any time now. We will keep her here while you are out on the mission."

"Thank you, Corporal. I appreciate your team's work."

Casey, Verbanski, Col. Hastings, Col. Sanchez of Seal Team 5, Captain Nelson of Seal Team 7, and the two _VCorp_ Team Leaders, Sean O'Reilly and Gregor Chumski, all sat together as they ate. "So, Casey ... the Seals are pretty unhappy about this mission. We don't like getting split up and with only two man teams, we're going to feel naked out there." Col. Sanchez nodded affirmative as Capt. Nelson spoke. "Whose plan is this anyway?"

"It was General Beckman's call once _Carmichael Industries_ submitted the plan. You guys are…."

"A private contractor?" Col Sanchez interrupted with a snort of disdain. "We don't operate this way, Casey! We train together so we know we can depend on each, anticipate each other, know there's someone on our six! This is a joke and we don't like being the butt of it!"

The two _VCorp_ men bristled at the insinuation that they were not up to the task. Verbanski waved them down, but was ready to defend her organization. Casey, however, jumped in before she had a chance.

"Unnnngh! As. I. Was. Saying…. It was General Beckman's call. I've already told you: I've worked with the operatives from _Carmichael Industries_. They are former CIA spies of the highest calibre. I have, and will always, trust them with my life, and the lives of my loved ones! Your two Seat Teams, plus Col. Hastings' Rangers were the only teams able to staging in to this theater of operation. The _VCorp_ teams, whom I've also worked with this past year, were already here, with the rescue of Ms. Verbanski. We're all in this together so... Get. Over. It!"

Casey stared down the two commanders until they each held up a hand and said in unison: "Fine." Casey knew they had to register the complaint, and would now do their jobs. He would have done the same were their positions reversed.

"Gentlemen … as much as I know you would prefer to have developed your own plans, and this may not have been the way you would have done it, we all appreciate your skills, and know the mission will be … must be … a success." Gertrude spoke in her best command voice with just a hint of compassion. She looked, briefly, at each commander and the tension in the room seemed to lessen.

"If we lose even one of those nukes, there will be hell to pay. All our guys are prepped and ready to go, too. I know they are getting itchy sitting around here."

"I am pretty sure they will get a piece of this action, Col. Hastings."

"Well now, that's all settled," Casey said as he stood. "It's time to lock and load. Good luck everyone. Remember the comm codes from _Carmichael Industries_. Let's do this!"

As the men filed out Gertrude grabbed Casey's arm and held him back. Once the tent was cleared she looked at him and ask, "Do you think they will all come through? Is there any chance they might not do their best?"

"These are Navy Seals, Gertrude … the best there is." With that, they both turned and headed out to their transportation.

**Scene 102: February 2, 2013  
****12:00 pm (LA)/3:00 pm (DC)  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

"Mr. Grimes, where do we stand?"

"Hello, General. We now have all twelve nukes tagged and coming through loud and clear. There has been no contact from Chuck and Sarah but we didn't expect any … unless, of course, something bad happened. Casey has reported all his teams are prepped and ready to respond. Is there anything new on your end?"

"Nothing here that you don't already know. Thank you, Mr. Grimes, for all the work you've done for us. Now we can only hope and pray that the plan goes accordingly. Everything will be coming through to you; it is imperative you keep us synced."

"Absolutely, General. What I see and hear, you will see and hear. It is as close to real time as we can possibly make it."

"Excellent. All lines are to stay open from this point forward."

Before he could reply, the General closed her video feed, and the GPS tracking screen returned to full view on the giant monitor in front of him. Seal Team 5 came up as Red 1, 2 and 3; Seal Team 7 as Blue 1, 2, and 3; _VCorp_ teams were Green 1, 2, 3, and 4; Casey and Gertrude were Gold 2 and Chuck and Sarah were Gold 1. As each team moved out, they would appear on the monitor with their individual colors and designations. On a separate monitor, he had Chuck, Sarah, Casey and Gertrude's individual trackers. Alex would be monitoring these for him in case there was an emergency. He would have to assign each team to a nuke as they came off the ship and began their journeys. It would be a critical moment and it was all up to him. He could feel his hands getting sweaty and his pulse race just thinking about it, and he probably still had almost a day until is all came down. He and Alex had run all the scenarios and permutations they could come up with, with as high as a 92% success rate. But he knew 100% was the only acceptable number once the op began for real. They would have to keep running it.

Gold 1 was easy: they would stay with the nuke in Boosaaso, wherever it might go. Gold 2 would follow the one to Djibouti and Red 1 to the Swinbitian refugee camp. The other nine would follow the nukes that were going to be saved for future use. The biggest problem was when they would all separate: it was possible they would all scatter to the winds right away, but there was also a chance multiple weapons would stay together, making it impossible to know which would go where.

As the trackers came online Morgan had assigned each one a number and these slowly blinking on his big screen. Once he assigned a number to a team he would link the GPS tracker to the team number, making it possible to see the movement of each team. He would send each team their appropriate tracker frequency and they could lock on with the handheld devices supplied by _Carmichael Industries_. It would then be up to each team to decide when to take down the transport.

Chuck had done an amazing job putting together all the gear for this mission, and Morgan felt a great deal of pride for his best friend. In addition, he had prepared the paperwork to patent all these wonderful toys. _CI_ was going to make a killing on this!

Once captured, there were contingencies for evacuations to friendly territory. But those worries were for later, and besides, that would be coordinated by Beckman and her military people. He would only continue to monitor as a backup. He took a deep breath as the thought crossed his mind that, hopefully, this would soon be over.

**Scene 103: February 3, 2013  
****6:35 am (Cairo)  
****_Cape Red Fear_, Red Sea**

"Agent? Agent Walker? Come on out … we know you are here. And we have your big soldier friend." The voice was male, and the accent was East African, with a touch of eastern United States. Chuck flashed on the voice, instantly knowing it was Sharam Raage. Sarah, too, was pretty sure, from all their research, that it had to be Raage. Now that was a new development: they had not expected him to be aboard.

"Come now, Agent. Let us be reasonable now, and avoid any bloodshed."

Chuck had his tranq gun at the ready, but the footsteps stopped before coming into view. One of the sailors had ducked into the mates' office and was now holding Sgt. Tristan at gunpoint. _Come on, man, just a step or two more…._

Then he heard a sound that caused him to grow cold with fear: footsteps from Sarah's location. The fear struck so deeply into his heart, mind and soul, that suddenly he couldn't breath. The footsteps were not coming towards Sarah: it WAS Sarah, stepping out into the passageway.

"No! Walker, get ba…." Tristan started to speak but received a hard blow to his neck and shoulder. _At least it wasn't my head,_ he thought, slightly dazed and dropping to a knee. Fortunately … so far … for the team, Tristan's captor hadn't noticed there were three bags sitting on the floor.

"Agent Walker, welcome." The voice was smooth and smarmy. "Too bad you didn't let us know you had joined us on our little luxury liner. We could have made your journey much more comfortable … and fun. Please set your gun down on the tank to your left and come here."

Chuck heard the clang of the gun on a metal tank, and then her footsteps came closer. He knew she could move as silent as a cat, so she was trying to make noise with her steps, sending him a message: _stay in your place Chuck!_ She stopped next to the opening to his hiding place. She looked left, at Tristan, and right ... right at him. There was no sign of recognition that anyone else would catch, but Chuck picked up on the subtle change in her face and a quick hand motion behind her back. _Oh, Sarah, my love, why are you doing this?_ She was telling him to stay out of sight and let her handle this. _Nooooooo!_ he silently screamed.

"And to whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?" She held her head high and confident, an appearance she was not entirely feeling. But it also sent a message of confidence to Chuck, and that was her main concern. He had to stay strong for her and not spiral into making a mistake. He smiled at her covert message and wished he could return the favor.

Raage walked up to Sarah without answering, a smirk on his face. "Ah, Agent Walker. You are even more beautiful than we thought; pictures do not do you justice." He reached out and ran his hand down a few strands of her hair, "Beautiful … indeed. Mmmmmm." He walked around her, admiring her form thoroughly. He ran a hand up her back and again stroked her hair: "Not sure which one of us is going to enjoy you more: me," … he leaned in, pressing his nose to her hair, while brushing his left hand across her bottom ... "or my wife."

It took every ounce of control for Sarah to not lash out and kill this bastard right here and now. He had gone as far as she was going to allow, but she also knew the man behind her, the one with the really big shotgun, would not miss at this distance. And she really didn't want to die today.

Chuck almost gagged when he heard the comment about Raage's wife … Victoria Ryker … wanting to 'enjoy' Sarah. It was bad enough for Raage to be fingering his Sarah, but some woman … _EWWWWWWW!_

Shaking himself out of his moment of contemplation, Raage said quickly, "Come. Let us go upstairs." He turned away quickly and walked towards the stairs as the man with the gun, following at a discreet distance, motioned for Sarah to follow. The man guarding Tristan completed the parade.

Chuck remained in his place for a full minute after the footsteps disappeared, before he moved. He congratulated himself for his self discipline, while, at the same time, castigating himself for allowing his Sarah to be led away by that Somali warlord. Just a few short years ago his high pitched girlish screams (he smiled as he thought about how many times Casey had said those words) would have given him away. But now, he firmly set his lips in determination. No one was going to touch his wife like that and get away with it. He knew that by setting her gun down so noisily she wanted him to check it as soon as he was able. Sure enough, just inside the barrel was a stickie note that simply said, "Sabo shp." _Sabotage the ship._ They had set lots of bombs to scuttle it but she didn't say that; she said sabotage. _So what else can I do? Surely the engine room is manned, or at least guarded. Hmmmmmmmmm…._

He moved back to the office and looked around. There … hanging down the wall … was an old, slightly frayed, coax cable. He dug into his bag until he found his small zipper bag of computer tools. Praying he still carried the right connector there … _YES! _He pulled out the antiquated monitor plug: _Don't know why I kept this, but sure glad I did now._ With a couple of quick moves he hooked his phone to the coax, hoping he could make the connection work. After a couple of false starts, a new set of windows began popping up on the screen. Rubbing his hands together in glee, he began sending signals to the ship's computer. _Man, this sure is slow. Wish I had a little Chardonnay right now. __Okay, there's the mainframe. Now, where's the … ah! … got it! Piranha strikes again! _He made a couple more keystrokes and then pulled the plug. _Now I've got to find Sarah._


	24. Around and Around We Go

A/N: At some point I got tired of writing 'the freighter' and decided to name it. So that's where the _Cape Red Fear_ came from. Stupid name really, but that's what landed there. We are now under ten chapters to go on this puppy but still lots of fun to come. Thank you to all who are reading this. Please take the time to let me know what you think. It's always inspiring to get your comments, and often result in new ideas, either for this story or future ones.

Thank you to Warner Bros. and nbc for giving us this wonderful world to play in. Hope you understand our love of offering more missions and love to the lore. (In other words, please don't sue me...)

_Charge!_

**XXIV. ****Around and Around We Go**

**Scene 104: February 2, 2013  
****7:00 pm LA  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

After acquiring the signals from the _Cape Red Fear,_ talking to the General, and making sure all the computers were running on autopilot, with all the necessary alarms set, Morgan and Alex retired to the safe room for some serious shuteye. He had come a long, long way since those days at the _BuyMore_ when he needed at least nine hours sleep. But now he (and Alex, too) were so far behind on sleep they would never catch up. Having seen the hours Ellie and Devon kept when Clara was born, he figured having a baby would be a snap after this past month. _Whoa, whoa, whoa! What am I saying? Us? Having a baby? Where did that come from? I really am tired!_

Alex had already gone to the safe room and he was headed there when all hell broke loose. Several alarms began blaring, red flashing lights lit the room and hallway eerily, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He heard Alex scream and her footsteps running down the hall.

"Holy crap! Now what?" As he spoke, Alex burst into the room, another scream ready to burst forth. "Alex, you okay?" Seeing her exaggerated nod he continued, "Check your monitors!"

Even before he sat down he could see the giant flashing arrow on his screen, and pulled the keyboard into his lap to begin an analysis of the problem. It only took a few moments for the computer to begin spitting out information; but it made no sense to him as he read the figures and watched the projections coming up on the secondary monitor. He was deep in thought and did not hear Alex' comments.

Alex was doing the same at her station. At first it didn't seem like there was anything unusual, but then she zoomed in on the signals and realized that Chuck and Sarah's tracking signals had separated. Suddenly there appeared a third blinking icon as well as a blaring sound, based on the _Star Trek_ battle stations warning. "Morgan, honey, look at this. What is this signal?" There was no answer and she tried again, "Morgan? Morgan! What's happening here?" With each word she got a little bit louder and her voice pitched a little bit higher.

She finally got his attention and Morgan slid his chair over to her station. He hit a red button on the side of her keyboard and the siren was silenced. "Holy, sh…. No, no, no, no! This can't be happening again!" He buried his head in his hands and rocked back and forth, seemingly in pain.

"Honey, what? What can't happen again? Talk to me!" Alex grabbed Morgan by the shoulders and shook him roughly. As he raised his head and their eyes locked, there were tears rolling down his face, causing Alex to gasp.

"It's Sar … Sarah … Sarah's … emergency beacon," he stammered out. "She's activated it ... just like when … when Quinn kidnapped her." He again buried his head, this time on Alex' shoulder, as she pulled him into her arms. She gently stroked the back of his head as tears welled up in her eyes as well. Would there be no end to the pain experienced by their two dear friends?

They didn't stay that way long: Morgan's main monitor began blinking, accompanied by more sound effects, this time sounding like R2D2. Looking across to the big monitor they saw a large orange arrow going around in a counterclockwise circle right on top of the freighter icon. "Alex, I need to check this." He pulled out of her embrace and moved back to his station, while grabbing tissues to blow his nose and wipe his eyes. He hit the reset button and the computer recycled through the computations, but the same orange arrow popped up almost immediately. "How strange. Look at this, Alex. This shows the freighter's course. It's left it's course to Boosaaso and is now going around and around in a big circle. What the hell?"

Behind him, Morgan heard Alex chuckle softly. "I know what it is. Don't you see it Morgan? It's Chuck! Something has gone wrong onboard and he's taken control, putting the ship in a holding pattern until he can make things right again."

"That's brilliant, Alex … if it's true. Makes sense, but how…? And what about Sarah's beacon?"

"Come on, hon. Do you really think a little old ship, with only a dozen sailors aboard, is going to take down two spies like Chuck and Sarah? Obviously Chuck is still operating without them being aware and, while they think they have taken Sarah, she is warning us. So she's the one who is really in control. Trust me, Morgan, we'll be hearing from them very soon."

"Oh, I do love you! I don't know how you are reading all that into these signals, but I'll take it. In the meantime, I have to contact General Beckman and let her know about this development. You keep an eye on all this in case something new pops up."

Morgan punched in the call to Beckman while Alex sat, watching both sets of monitors, with a great big smile on her face. _Oh how I loved that man!_

**Scene 105: February 3, 2013  
****7:00 am (Cairo)  
**_**Cape Red Fear**_**, Red Sea**

Sarah had barely gotten hidden, on the far side of the hatch, when a male voice called out: "Agent? Agent Walker? Come on out … we know you are here." She didn't recognize the voice, but from the accent, her best guess was Sharam Raage. It was a surprise: _what the hell is he doing out here?_

While Chuck had been sleeping, she had been running scenarios in her head, including if the ship's crew should discover them. _We have the sensors to warn us, so we should have time to get into defensive positions; but what if one, or more, of us get captured?_ Since the very beginning of their time together, it had been her duty to protect him ... at all costs. She was sure Chuck would try to protect her, so it was imperative for her to give herself up, before he did something dangerous. _How can I leave him a message?_ She pulled out a stickie note pad, and pen, and wrote a simple instruction for him.

As soon as she heard her name called out, she quickly slid the note into the barrel of her gun, and then stepped out into the passageway. Worse case scenario: they would shoot first, ask questions later. Best case scenario: they would take her hostage, but not find either Chuck or the sergeant. As they didn't fire immediately, she felt the edge shift in her favor. On the down side, they had already discovered Tristan; but on the positive side: Chuck was still hidden. She made as much noise as possible, hoping Chuck picked up on the signal that he needed to let her be taken, so he could remain at large. _So far so good._

As expected, Raage was a total pig, coming close enough to touch her; it was all she could do not to rip his head off. But she remained in control, and they all headed to an upper deck. _Find the note, Chuck!_ Her captors weren't too experienced, but did manage to stay out of reach of her considerable ninja skills. At each landing Raage made her stand, facing the wall and hold onto a pipe or railing over her head. The two sailors following her up the stairs were able to climb up, with one always covering her while the other one passed by. The third sailor was hindered by Tristan, but she knew this wasn't the time or place to try to engage them in hand-to-hand combat.

Raage led them down a passageway and into the mess hall. The room was comfortably decorated, despite the age of the ship. Apparently he didn't like traveling in less than comfortable settings. "Sit on the sofa, Agent Walker. Cross your legs on the cushion and drape your arms across the back." _Well, maybe he's smarter than he looks, putting me in a position hard to move from quickly._ Tristan was thrown in a corner with one leg cuffed to the table; he appeared to be conscious but incoherent.

Sarah did as she was told and then looked at him with her best seductive smile. "So when does the party start, big boy?"

"Shut up, bitch! You are going to be used … thoroughly … by me … and others. You won't be quite so beautiful when it's over." He paused to look her over completely: his eyes moved up her legs, pausing, first just below her waist, then on her chest, and finally, on her lips, all with a lustful leer on his face. "But first, you will tell us how you got here, and what your plan is. Now talk…."

"Okay. Sure. Here's the deal. We've been here two days, and have effectively destroyed all the weapons. Twenty Navy Seals and _VCorp_ operatives are waiting for you to dock, where you will be captured, along with your little nuclear toys. Your entire network will then be exposed, arrested, tried, and convicted. How's that for a plan?"

Just then a sailor came through the door at a run, "Sir, something is wrong with the ship. We have no controls and are off course, sailing around in a circle!"

"What have you done?" Raage screamed at Sarah as he moved across the room in a flash, pulling his arm back to slap her across the face. She was faster, though, and caught his arm at the wrist before it connected. Twisting it, she used his momentum to bring herself to her feet, while hearing the satisfying crack as his wrist bones shattered. His scream was cut off as she brought her right elbow up and punished his cheekbone. She didn't follow all the way through so she could pull her arm back and pound his face once again, this time connecting directly to his eye and the socket. Another resounding crack filled the room and Raage dropped straight to the floor, unconscious.

This had all happened so quickly her guard with the shotgun had only now begun to react. He stepped forward and raised the barrel, but before he could bring it to bear, Sgt. Tristan kicked out with the leg that was shackled to the table. This movement slammed the table into the man's knee, causing him to swing his arms around to keep his balance. But in this effort he pulled the trigger, causing a blast from his gun to tear into the sailor who had just entered the room. Just as he was regaining control, Sarah leapt forward and slammed both feet into his chest. The shotgun flew up into the air as he fell backward, tripping over Tristan. As he landed, the sergeant brought the boot of his free leg down on his neck, crushing the larynx.

The third man had left the room but came running back in at the sound of the shotgun blast. That was his last mistake, because super spy Sarah Walker Bartowski caught the shotgun in midair, flipped it to face the door and fired a single shot into his chest as he ran through the hatch.

Throwing the gun to the floor, she moved quickly to the hatch, because she heard more running steps coming closer and closer….

**Meanwhile….**

Chuck was freaking out. He had somehow remained calm while sabotaging the ship, but now he was in complete panic mode. Sarah was gone … again. He had watched her being led away, just as he had watched her being taken away by Quinn. He could feel his stomach twisting, and if he had eaten anything recently, he would have lost it.

He felt Sarah's gun resting on his spine, tucked into the waistband of his fatigues. He had never liked carrying a gun there, but right now it was a comfort, just being in contact with HER gun in that position … her favored spot to carry it. But he didn't know what to do; where had they taken her and what were they doing to her?

Sarah … his lovely, warm Sarah … was the only person who had ever successfully stopped his spiraling. Her magical touch, and soft voice, would calm him, and help him focus on the job at hand. But she wasn't here now and he was being crushed under the weight of his knowing he had not done anything to save her. _What now? What now? Sarah, tell me, what do I do now?_

"Not sure which one of us is going to enjoy you more: me ... or my wife." Those words, from Raage, played over and over in his mind, once again bringing on waves of nausea. He had to find her ... keep that bastard from touching her again. _They didn't handcuff her!_ That thought brought a smile to his face. _What a mistake … they've left themselves wide open to her counterattack! But could she take them all? Well of course she can … she's Sarah!_

He was completely caught off guard when his phone vibrated. Pulling it out, he instantly saw that she had activated her emergency beacon. After Quinn had kidnapped her and found her beacon, leading them on a wild goose chase, Chuck made it his goal to create a better, more secretive, EB. Morgan thought he was being completely secretive with the GPS trackers he had placed in all their equipment and clothing, but Chuck discovered them and tied them into the emergency beacons as well. At least two buttons in each person's mission clothing were disguised triggers for the EB's. Sarah had even put a trigger in the left boot of each of her many pairs of mission boots. Now, not only did Chuck receive the signal, but Morgan would be getting it back at _CI,_ as well. _Don't panic little buddy, just keep an eye on us._

So now she had told him what to do: he could track her through the ship. And he would find her, taking no prisoners along the way. _Thank you, lady love._

Using his tracker app, Chuck set out. His stomach was still in knots, but he was no longer totally freaked out. He was rushing along, knowing he should be more cautious, but he had to get to Sarah. Suddenly he heard: "_Parar. O que você está fazendo aqui?"_ A quick flash told him he had just been asked, "What are you doing here?"

He turned slowly, raising his hands, and found himself looking at a small man wielding a really, really big knife. His first thought was of the scene in the movie _Crocodile Dundee_, except he was on the wrong end of the knife. Then the Intersect took over and he flashed on knife fight techniques. There was no room to maneuver for either man so they moved warily closer to each other.

Suddenly the man lunged forward; Chuck countered easily, but did get caught by the point of the knife on his left upper arm. His opponent smiled, showing ugly, crooked teeth and Chuck involuntarily grimaced. Seeing Chuck's recoil, the man once again lunged, while slashing horizontally. The momentum of the slash took the man off balance to his right and Chuck quickly punched him in the ribcage, followed by a round house that drove the man into the wall. The knife clattered to the deck as Chuck followed with yet another punch, this time a karate chop to the back of the neck, rendering the sailor unconscious. Not stopping to check if the man was still alive or not, Chuck grabbed the knife and took off towards the next set of stairs.

He had gone up three decks when the signal changed slightly, indicating he was on the same deck as Sarah. Just as he started down the passageway, he saw a man come out through a hatch on the right. Mere seconds later there was the deafening roar of a shotgun blast. There were more sounds of a fight, and the man in the passageway turned to go back in the room.

Chuck took off at a dead run. About halfway there he was brought up short by another shotgun blast, and the man who had just entered the room came flying back out into the passageway, the victim of another blast from the shotgun. As he started to run again, the sounds of the fight stopped, and he slowed down as he reached the hatch. He started to peer into the room when a hand shot out, grabbed him by the collar and yanked him into the room.

Sarah heard the steps slow as they reached the hatch. But as they slowed, she could hear the heavy breathing of the runner, and knew exactly who it was in the passageway. She suddenly lunged out, grabbed him by the collar, and hauled him through the hatch.

Chuck was startled and let out one of his patented high pitched girly screams. But instead of being shot or punched, he found himself with an armload of supple, female body, clinging to him, and kissing him with a fervor he instantly recognized.

"Oh man! Come on you two. It's only been ten or fifteen minutes!" Sarah and Chuck broke their kiss, both breaking into fits of laughter. Sgt. Tristan had just done a spot on imitation of John Casey, minus the grunt.

**Scene 106: February 3, 2013  
****7:20 am (Cairo) / 12:20 am (DC) / 9:20 pm (Feb 2) (LA)  
****Outside Boosaaso**

They had been on the road about a half hour when Casey's satellite phone buzzed. He and Gertrude exchanged worried looks as he pulled it out. This was suppose be a radio silent op: no communications until all was secure. This could not be good news.

"Casey."

"Beckman here. Something has happened to the ship: it is sailing around in circles, about three hours out. Also, John, Sarah's emergency beacon has been activated. Sorry to be the bearer…."

"So what's the plan now, General?" Casey was holding on to his emotions as best he could, but the vision of Sarah disappearing in the detached bullet train car was once again searing through his brain.

Gertrude felt the tension ripple through his body and saw the anger, mixed with pain, in his eyes. Something had gone wrong.

"We are only signaling a delay to the other teams. We will continue to deploy and hope the problem corrects itself. We will call an abort if it appears the ship is not coming into Boosaaso." There was a pause and then, "I'm sorry, John, but thought you should know."

"Thank you, General. Keep me posted." Without waiting for Beckman to say anything more he disconnected. He threw down the phone and pounded the steering wheel of the old Volvo the Rangers had supplied them. "Dammit! I knew this would happen. What the hell were they thinking, going in there with no backup?"

"John, what's happened?" Casey explained what little he had learned from Beckman, and Gertrude just shook her head. "Just give them a little time, Casey. Ten will get you twenty Chuck and Sarah have already taken control out there." She tried adding a smile, but they both knew it was forced.

"You're on. Trying to get your money back from the last bet, eh?"

With a laugh, Gertrude laid her hand on Casey's arm, and they traveled on in silence, reaching their intercept coordinates on schedule. Now they just had to wait to see what would happen. It would be a fretful wait.

After being cut off by Casey, General Beckman called _Carmichael Industries_. She knew that both Grimes and McHugh were operating on little or no sleep … just as she was. She wanted to confirm the information they had brought her earlier that morning. They had all been running on empty for days, and she was afraid that exhaustion would cause a mistake … a fatal mistake. She would never forgive herself if something happened to Chuck or Sarah on a mission she had drug them into.

"Yes, General Beckman, everything is status quo. I have run all the diagnostics to make sure all the software and hardware is operating properly. The signals have not changed. I guess we just have to sit and wait."

"We need more intel, Mr. Grimes. You know that at some point I will have to act, in order to bring those warheads under our control. If we have to abandon the onshore mission, then so be it. Get me something … anything … so I can make the next decision … even if means destroying the ship."

"NO! No, no, no, no, no! You can't do that General. That's Chuck and Sarah out there." Morgan had jumped to his feet and Beckman leaned back in her chair, in surprise at his outburst. He had pounded his index finger on the desktop, punctuating each word, and now he pulled his finger back, grabbed it with his other hand, and grimaced with the pain that was now shooting through both the finger and his hand.

"I am well aware of who is out there. But the safety of the nation, and the world, has to come first."

"Just give us … give them … time to work this out. Please…." Morgan sat back down as his voice trailed off on his last word. Alex had moved over to him and put her hands on his shoulders. He looked back up at the monitor with pleading eyes.

"I know, Mr. Grimes … I know. Get. Me. The. Intel."

As the monitor once again returned to the Red Sea and the alarm icons, Alex hugged Morgan from behind. "Okay, honey, we've done this once already. We just need to wait for Chuck and Sarah to give us a signal." But even as she said these words of comfort, her heart was racing with fear for their friends.

**Scene 107.  
****February 3, 2013 7:30 am (Cairo)  
****_Cape Red Fear_, Red Sea**

"So, we have the four down in the hold, these four…."

"Plus one, down a deck…." Chuck interjected, bringing a look of surprise, and then pride, from his bride.

As they had broken their embrace, still laughing at Tristan's comment, which brought a look of puzzlement from him, Chuck and Sarah checked on the crew members. Three were dead and Raage was bleeding profusely from his nose, mouth and eye socket. They removed the cuff from Tristan's leg and used it to secure Raage to the same table leg, just in case he should regain consciousness.

"That's nine. Intel said there were a dozen onboard. We don't know if that included Raage or not. So we still have three or four sailors to deal with. I'm sure they are going to be looking for us after hearing all the gunfire down here."

"Ooh, Ooh, Ooh! That reminds me, babe: I have a present for you." Chuck looked at her with his big Bartowski smile, and she looked back with a slightly smaller smile, filled with bewilderment. "True, I didn't have time to do much shopping," his crooked little smile and sense of humor brought Sarah's breathing to a stop, "but I did find something I thought you would like."

Sarah reached out and smacked him on the arm, "Come on, honey. What are you talking about?"

"Okay, okay ... you beat it out of me," he replied, widening his smile even further, further sharpening the tingle all along Sarah's spine. "Here you go … the present of the day." He reached behind him, withdrew her Smith and Wesson from his waistband, and held it out to her.

Seeing her weapon, she gently reached out and took it from him. "That's so sweet, baby. Sure didn't like leaving it behind."

Sgt. Tristan watched all this with nothing less than a total grimace on his face. _These two are disgusting … in a really sweet kind of way._ "Hello? Mission?"

Both Chuck and Sarah stood, looking at each other, hands touching, Chuck gently rubbing circles on the backs of her hands. As they realized they were being spoken to, each blinked a couple of times, and then turned to face him, both blushing slightly. Sarah regained her composure first. "Yeah, uh, right. Back to the mission. Did anyone else notice the ship has changed course?"

"Oh, yeah, about that…."

"What did you do, Chuck?"

"Well, not knowing exactly how long it would take to rescue you, I sort of … well … hacked into the ship's computer and locked the steering in a hard left turn. All the ship can do now is go around in a circle. I figured that would delay them long enough for us to get to you."

Sarah smiled, and laughed out loud, while Tristan just sat, looking at him in complete amazement. "Brilliant," was all he could say, while shaking his head. Will these two never cease to amaze him?

"So now what? Sergeant, do you have any ideas?" Sarah knew what she wanted to do, and was pretty sure Chuck would go along. But she needed to hear what their new partner thought.

"I don't think we have any choice but to go after them, and take over the ship." He moved over to sit on the sofa and was actually looking quite alert; maybe the action had cleared the cobwebs from his brain. "Look, what other choice do we have? They may have already called in an alert to their leaders. Even if they haven't, once they dock, that will be the first order of business. They know the ship better than we do, so if they come looking for us, they still have home court advantage. Although, I must admit, you two have pretty much taken that away from them. If we take over now, we can signal the General, and see if we should take the ship on to Boosaaso, or somewhere else."

As he was speaking, Sarah and Chuck looked at each other and their smiles grew, as they were both reminded so much of Casey. Chuck responded: "Works for us. Let's do it!"

After discussing the situation for a few minutes they all agreed to find their way to the bridge and overwhelm the remaining crew. Chuck had the layout of the ship from the Intersect; he had flashed on it easily as they were planning the mission. All of Tristan's weapons were still down in the Machinists' office so he grabbed the shotgun, finding extra rounds on one of the dead men. Sarah checked on Raage, who was still unconscious; she doubted that he would ever regain consciousness, unless they could get him medical treatment. _Too bad; I'd like to interrogate him about the Ryker woman. _And then they were ready to move out.

Sarah led the way, Chuck followed, and Tristan brought up the rear. They knew they were one deck above the crews' quarters and three decks below the bridge, so they would have to watch both directions, and hope they didn't run into a crew member unexpectedly.

On the second deck up they heard voices from down the passageway. Sarah signaled the men to stay put while she investigated. She put away her handgun and pulled out one of her knives; it would be better if they didn't alert whoever was upstairs on the bridge. She stopped outside the hatch where she heard two men talking. They were speaking an odd dialect of Portuguese that she found hard to follow, but from what she could understand, they were just talking about getting into port and going out to find women. Apparently they were not aware of any intruders onboard, or even the fact that the ship was no longer on course.

She stepped into the opening and said, in the Portuguese Central Dialect that she knew well, "Hi, boys. Did I hear someone say something about a woman?"

The two men stopped, turned to the hatchway, and their mouths dropped open. Before them stood a beautiful, blonde woman, the likes of which they had never seen before. They continued to stare … and drool ... as she stepped into the room, moving towards them in her seductress best. Just as the man on the left began to stand, the vision before him lashed out with a violent kick, catching him in the stomach, doubling him over in pain. She followed with a hard left jab to the face of the second man, knocking him to the deck. Two more fast kicks and both men were on the deck and unconscious. Standing over them, Sarah smirked at just how easily they had been overcome. Now she needed to find some way to tie them up.

As Sarah stepped into the room, Chuck motioned for Tristan to stay at the stairs, and then moved quickly to follow her. By the time he reached the hatch she had already knocked both men out. _Wow! Ninja spy girl strikes again!_ "You okay, Sarah?"

"Fine, Chuck. They never knew what hit them. Help me with this cord: we need to tie them up … and gag them, too. Don't want them setting off a racket when they come to."

As they tied the men up, Chuck looked around and realized this was the radio room. "Sarah, should we leave the radio intact or disable it?"

"We have our phones so let's take them off the air." Chuck stood and opened a panel about head high and began unplugging everything. Sarah opened a panel at deck level and did the same. "Do you see a power plug of any kind Chuck? There doesn't seem to be one down here."

"It's probably hardwired into the ships systems. Will your knife cut through these wires?"

"Chuck, that may be the least intelligent question you have ever asked me. Of course, my knives will cut these little old wires." And with that she sliced the ends off all the cords she had unplugged as well as several more that were soldered in. Standing, she did the same thing to the plugs in Chuck's hand. "Sorry, sweetheart, that wasn't a very nice thing for me to say."

"But you were completely right. What a dumb thing to say to my super ninja wife. I'm sorry, too."

They were looking into each others' eyes, their hands seeking each other out. Under any other circumstances they would have been in the throws of an intense kiss, but they both knew there was more work to be done. Plenty of time for love once they finished the mission. But they also knew they were both missing their intimate together time, and would soon need to find a release for their pent up desires.

With a quick kiss, they moved out and returned to Sgt. Tristan. Motioning upward, he showed impatience over the delay. _Probably doing that kissy-face stuff again._ They moved quickly up to the next deck, and then along a railing, to the only hatch on this level. Stopping briefly at the door, Sarah motioned to her partners that she would go in first, Chuck should follow and Tristan would, once again, bring up the rear. She also indicated they should not shoot unless absolutely necessary: there were too many controls in there that they did not want to damage.

She peered around the edge of the door and saw two men. The one furthest from the door was wearing a white shirt with epaulets, indicated he was the Captain. The other man looked more like one of Chuck's _Nerd Herd_ friends, complete with a pocket protector and thick glasses. Both were sitting in chairs, frantically banging away at two computers, trying, with no luck, to regain control of the ship.

Because they were so distracted, she was able to move all the way into the bridge to stand directly behind them. Chuck was right behind her when Tristan stood up in the hatchway, filling it completely with his bulk. The movement caught the Captain's eye and he turned to see who was there. As he did Sarah moved closer and stuck her gun directly against his neck. "Please, Captain. No sudden moves." She repeated it in Portuguese as well.

The second man jumped up but Chuck was right there to grab him and shove him back down in the seat. "Ah, ah, ah. You heard the lady. Don't move."

**A/N2: quistie64** wrote the gag of a tracking device in Sarah's boot (in somewhat difference circumstances) in her incredible _Sound of Music 2_. (Which, if you haven't read either _SOM1_ or _SOM2_, you definitely MUST!) Although I had written this chapter before reading it in _SOM2_, as she posted it first, I feel required to give her a shout out and thank you.


	25. Land Ho

A/N: Thanks to all who are still reading this and especially to those who take the time to send a review or comment. Been having some terrific conversations with several and that is fun. This chapter is a little calmer after several with cliffhangers and action. But it ties up some loose ends and connects the previous action to that which is still coming. Hope you don't mind a little down time.

Insert standard disclaimers here.

**XXV. Land Ho**

**Scene 108: February 3, 2013  
****9am (Cairo) / 11 pm (LA)  
**_**Cape Red Fear,**_** Red Sea**

"Now, Captain, do you speak English?" As he nodded his head yes, Sarah continued, "Then tell us, how many crew members did you have, and is there anyone who was with Raage?"

In very broken English the Captain replied, "No 'ne wi' Raage. Ten crew plus us. Tha' all." He pointed to the First Officer as he spoke and continued to bow and duck, indicating his submission.

Looking at Chuck, Sarah smiled and said, "So that accounts for all the crew. Raage then counts as number thirteen, so our intel was good. Have to thank Angela for that." Looking back at the Captain she continued, "What are your orders? Do you know what your cargo contains?"

"Sail to Boosaaso. Stay ou' of sigh' until unloaded. No' know wha' is cargo. We jus' crew from Portugal, paid sail only. Please, no hur' us; we jus' sail ship."

"You're safe as long as you do as we say. Can you continue the trip with just the two of you?"

Knowing what that meant, he gulped and hesitated before again nodding affirmative. He had known that the ship had been hired by Somali pirates; this wasn't his first contract with them. But he had not been involved in their business and they paid well above the going rate, so it wasn't something he had ever worried about. But now, being held at gun point and, from this woman's comments, with all the rest of the crew dead, maybe the price was getting too high. Maybe if he did what they asked, he could still get out alive. Payment had already been made, so he would come out with a lot of money in the end.

While this interrogation was going on, Sgt. Tristan stood over the First Officer, keeping a big hand on his shoulder, and Chuck worked on getting the computer back to normal, so they could once again navigate. Being at the actual computer terminal made it a lot easier and he soon had the ship under control.

Sarah stepped back from the Captain and told him to get them back on course. Chuck watched him carefully and made sure the computer was telling him the same thing the Captain was telling him.

"Hey, Sarah," Chuck called over his shoulder, "did you ever turn off your emergency beacon? I bet Morgan is going crazy."

"Oh, damn, no I haven't. Sorry." Sarah moved outside the bridge, where no one could see where the beacon switches were located, and turned them off. Coming back in she chuckled, "Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall watching Morgan? I have a feeling he is a mess. You better call him, babe, and let him know all is well."

"Well, I'm not going to call him 'babe', babe." Chuck gave her his patented Bartowski eyebrow dance as he continued, "But you're right. Should we break silence, though? It could mess everything else up."

"Can't you bounce the signal around a bit? Oh, hey, and use that old high school code of yours."

Taking her lovely face in both hands he gave her a quick kiss and grinned, "You are so very, very smart Agent Walker!"

As Sgt. Tristan once again rolled his eyes, the Captain and First Office took all this in, looking at each other with questioning eyes. It would have been quite amusing if they hadn't been trapped on the high seas with this dangerous valkyrie posing as a beautiful woman, an unknown cargo, all while headed to meet one of the most vicious pirates in the world.

Chuck grabbed his phone and began punching in a series of numbers and commands. It took about five minutes for him to be satisfied he could call Morgan safely. He and Sarah left the bridge and went into the Captain's office so no one else could hear the conversation. They stood close together, linking hands, as Chuck sent the call to their friends.

After hanging up, he started to turn towards the door but Sarah, still holding his hand, pulled him back around to her and they embraced. His arms quickly surrounded her, and they stood for a moment, enjoying the brief moment of bliss. Sarah moaned every so softly and whispered, "Missed you, babe. We've got to finish this or I'm going to burst."

"Absolutely agree, my love." He pulled back slightly to, first, look deeply into her eyes, and then, down to her full and inviting lips. He leaned in, stopping just before reaching those lips with his own, heightening the desire even further. When they finally finished moving together, they both closed their eyes and lost themselves in one another.

They were rudely interrupted with a metallic pounding on the door. Looking up, they saw Tristan standing there, eyes averted, but banging on the door with the butt of the shotgun. Releasing each other they walking out to the bridge where they gave the sergeant the thumbs up signal. As she passed Tristan, Sarah whispered that she would fill him in later. He hoped she was referring to the phone call.

**Scene 109: February 2, 2013  
****11:30 pm (LA) / 2:30 am (DC)  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Alex had gotten pretty bleary eyed in the last half hour and had gone to the bathroom to wash her face and put some drops in her eyes. Coming back she instantly knew something was different on her monitor. "Morgan, honey, look here!" He scooted over and they both began checking the readings. Sure enough, Sarah's emergency beacon had turned off, and both her's and Chuck's GPS signals had once again merged into one.

Morgan ran a couple of diagnostics and then sat back with a sigh, "Thank goodness. The emergency seems to be over and they are back together."

"Oooorrrrrrrrrrrrr," she drug out the word until he looked up at her with concern. "Or, it could mean the pirates have captured them both and found the beacons."

"No, no, no, no. Don't go there. We are going to be positive about…."

He was interrupted by an alarm on his monitor. Jumping up, he ran over to his station: it wasn't an alarm, but rather, an incoming call. He looked at Alex and shrugged his shoulders before punching in the code that would answer the phone and run it through the computer. "Hello?"

"Hey, hey, hey ... Marrrrtinnnn olll' bu-buddy." Morgan could tell it was Chuck's voice but it sounded really strange. At least he had used the correct code word: after their escape from Nbora Airport, the two friends had talked about using their code, and decided to use Chipper for Chuck, Sally for Sarah and Martin for Morgan.

"Chipper! Hey, man. What's going on?"

"Martiiiiiiiiin. We'rrrrre allllllllll finnnnnnnne here. Beeeeeen a bit … a bit crazzzzy b-but oooookie doooookie now."

"That's good, that's good to hear. Do need help? Is Sally okay?" Now he had used both their names and he hoped, if anyone was listening in, they would be convinced someone had broken into the communications network by accident.

"Aaaall finnnnne. Thought we miiiight need yaaaa bu … but back to nnnnormalllll. Jus' wanted you to knnnnow you don' h-have to send … sen' the car."

"Okay. I will let Uncle John and Aunt Diane know. You'll let me know if you do need anything, right?"

"Will dooooooo. Later, bro'." And with that, Chuck broke off the connection.

"These hours are killing me, Alex. I don't know how the General does it: She's been on this thing since your dad first disappeared, almost a month ago." Chuck had signed off and he and Alex had embraced in joy and kissed briefly. They pulled apart and he continued, "Better let the General know so she can alert the other teams."

Alex gently stroked her boyfriend's bearded cheek and smiled. "Then we need to get that nap we started about five hours ago. They are three hours out of port so let's hope nothing else crazy happens. You call her. I'll clean this mess up … again ... and then head to the safe room." She gave him another quick kiss and then moved away.

Morgan watched her for a moment, love filling his heart. _How can I be so lucky to have that amazing woman for a girlfriend?_ He turned back to the console and placed the call to General Beckman.

"What is it, Mr. Grimes? Have you heard anything?" She was practically shouting over the connection.

It was obvious she was on her last nerve so he took a deep breath before speaking. "Yes, General. I just received a call from Chuck. They are fine and back on course."

"What else? What did they say?"

"I'm sorry. Chuck was using a code he and I developed so he didn't give me any details. I think he was afraid someone might intercept the call. As you remember, we were suppose to maintain radio silence."

"Damn! How do we know they haven't been captured and this was a signal to deceive us?"

"Chuck would not use this code under duress. It's something that would tip off the captors if he was being forced to talk to us. Trust me ... Diane. It's legit." He had never, ever used her first name, at least not since the corrupt Intersect had melted his brain. By using it now, he hoped she would understand just how much he trusted Chuck with this message.

"Very well, Grimes. I will alert the rest of the teams that we are back on schedule. Am I correct that we are about two hours behind?"

"Yes, that's what I figure."

She stared at the monitor for several seconds, looked down at her hands on the desk, and then back up. In a quiet voice she continued, "Thank you … Morgan … this is very good news. I think you and Miss McHugh need to get some rest."

"Thank you. And you should do the same. I have a feeling it's going to be a wild ride once they dock."

"Agreed." Diane Beckman broke the connection and sighed. Despite her normal, crusty self, added to the two plus weeks of virtually living in her office, she caught the message Grimes had sent her by using her first name. Normally she would have been furious, but now it was a relief. _He has turned into quite a man._ She chuckled as she remembered the first year or so of his involvement with the Intersect and Team Bartowski. She needed a shower and a nap. Getting up from her desk she called to her aide, letting her know she needed to be awakened at 0500.

**Scene 110: February 3, 2013  
****9:40 am (Cairo)  
****Outside Boosaaso**

They had been at their intercept locale less than an hour but Casey was going stir crazy. Trapped in the car, he fidgeted and thrashed around, all while fussing and fuming about everything and everyone involved with this convoluted mission. Gertrude had tried to calm him down, but soon realized it was getting dangerous to be too close, with his hands and arms swinging around the small interior of the car. it would be a miracle if the steering wheel survived the morning at this rate.

"John, don't we have something to eat in the trunk? I think we should get a snack, in case we suddenly have to move out."

"Ungh! You're just wanting me to get out so I stop punishing the steering wheel. Well, fine!" He slammed the door open, jumped out, and slammed it shut. But instead of walking back to the trunk, he walked about twenty yards down the road, in front of the car.

Gertrude watched him go and shook her head. She knew he was exhausted from all the trials of these few weeks … they both were. It had only been three weeks but seemed like an eternity. They had been so many places, captured, lied to, separated, and now back together. And still the mission wasn't finished. Here they were, sitting on a roadside, waiting for something to happen, while their friends were alone, at sea, and possibly in trouble. Neither of them wanted to believe that Chuck and Sarah weren't in complete control, but those two had not been in the field for a year. _Were they really up to the task? Only time would tell._

She got out and went to the rear of the car. Opening the lid, she pulled out the cooler and a blanket. Walking under the small group of trees providing shade for the car, she spread out the blanket and then called Casey to come join her. She saw him turn, look at her, and then walk slowly back.

"How can you think about eating now? We could be here for hours. Or be called back to the staging area. Or sent into the city. What the hell is going on, out on that damned ship?" His voice had risen with each statement. He was staring down at Verbanski with a scowl on his face.

"John. You know as well as anyone, we have to take nourishment when we can. You're right, we could be called to move out at any minute. So we need to eat now. We can't help Chuck and Sarah until we know the situation." Patting the blanket, she looked at him, with sympathy and worry showing on her face. "Sit with me, John. It's been a long time."

He plopped down beside her and opened a bottle of water. Handing it to her he sighed, "Sorry, Gertie. Don't like sitting around with a mission going south."

"We don't know it's gone south yet. Let's wait to worry when we know there is something to worry about." She patted him on the knee, "You're a good man, and a good friend, John Casey. But how about just being my friend and lover for a few minutes?" She reached up and grabbed his ear, giving it a little twist and pull, while smiling deliciously at this big bear of a man.

He was just about to return the endearment when the satellite phone buzzed. Casey grabbed it before it could buzz a second time. "Yeah. Casey."

"Casey, this is General Beckman. The mission is back on; we are running about two hours behind schedule."

"Do we know any details from the ship, General?"

"No, not really. But the ship is moving towards the port once again and Chuck called Morgan. He gave no indication as to what had transpired, but said they are all fine out there. I have notified all the other teams as to the new schedule."

"Thank you, General. We are ready and waiting. Casey, out."

Verbanski had not heard the intel, but could tell from the smile on Casey's face that all was well. She could feel the tension ease out of her heart even before Casey hung up and filled her in. He took another long swallow of water and then reached out and pulled her to him in a strong embrace. They had always been on the rough side physically, but this was the first time since the rescue that he had practically manhandled her. But she loved that in Casey, and matched him strength for strength, as they shared the moment of relief for their friends, and love for each other.

Pulling apart before they progressed too far, out in the open, they both were breathing hard. As he rearranged his clothes he spoke as if nothing had just happened between them, "Okay, we need to review the plan and talk about the contingencies. I don't know about you but I'm famished."

Gertrude started to respond, to give him a tongue lashing for his sudden interest in food after being so belligerent just a few minutes ago, but she stopped. Looking up at him, she smiled, shook her head, and tossed him a sandwich.

**Scene 111: February 3, 2013  
****10 am (Cairo)  
**_**Cape Red Fear**_**, Red Sea**

Once they were back on course, Tristan volunteered to go below and retrieve their packs. Sarah had started to protest but he assured her that he was feeling strong and well. She could tell from his posture that he was feeling some pain in his neck and shoulder, but the fog had seemed to lift from his brain. As he was leaving, she reminded him to be careful, in case there was still anyone lurking down below. She also asked him to look in on Raage on his way back up.

Once he was gone, she went over to the First Officer, "What are the arrangements for food on the ship; did you have a cook?"

He shook his head no and tried to look away from her. She grabbed his chin and pulled his head back to her, "We can always knock you out and drop you into a hold with some of your buddies, so stop the act. Who's been cooking for you?"

"Alright, alright." Amazingly, his english was suddenly much better than the Captain's. "We've all taken turns; whoever's free when it's time to eat. We have plenty of food now that you've killed everyone else." He spat out this last sentence with a glare at her.

Chuck swung his head around to look at the man. Was he crazy, talking to Sarah like that. And how was she going to react? He knew she was capable of tearing his head off and handing it to him so….

Sarah looked at him for a moment and then smiled. Not one of her knock out smiles, but just a nice smile. Then she reached out and gently patted the sailor on the cheek. "Let's just go see what we can rustle up, big boy." She moved behind him and released the bindings. Once he stood up she retied his hands behind him and said, in a soft voice, "And just remember, before you try anything, I did kill your mates and won't hesitate to finish the job." Then she flashed Chuck one of her special, for him only, star-dimming smiles, that always left him speechless and weak-kneed. This time was no different, and all he could do, as she pushed the officer out the door, was hold on to the console and smile back.

Tristan had just returned when Sarah and the First Officer entered, carrying trays of food and water. They had apparently reached a truce, or at least a peaceful coexistence, and had cooked up a simple, but plentiful, breakfast.

As they ate, Tristan filled them in on his trip. "I went to the midship hold first. They're still unconscious down there, just as you predicted. I moved them to a room not too far away so they wouldn't be found by the unloading crew. Carmichael, I found your friend one deck down. He was starting to regain consciousness so I sent him back to la-la land. I drug him down to the suite and tied him up with Raage. He's still alive, by the way, but I don't think he's going to make it much longer. So all is well down below. Now if the Captain just gets us to port, we can start the rest of the operation. Well done everyone." He held up his bottle of water and saluted.

Both Chuck and Sarah were glad to get the intel on the men below, but were a little uncomfortable talking about it in front of the Captain and First Officer. They were, after all, their crew ... maybe even friends. Sarah did note that when he spoke of Raage they both lit up for just a moment. If she hadn't been looking directly at them, and been a trained spy who knew what to look for, she would have missed it. Apparently there was no love lost there. Maybe it let them off the hook with the pirates who had hired them. Either way, it was a good thing for the team, in their efforts to hijack the weapons.

They first spied land a little after 1100 hours, and moved quickly towards the port. The Captain told them he had to call the harbormaster and pointed at the radio. Sarah once again cautioned him not to say or do anything that would indicate a problem. He assured them that he just wanted to get them docked, and then he was done with the job.

The harbormaster, speaking with the Captain in Portuguese, gave instructions on how to enter the port, and which pier they would tie up to. When the master asked if they needed assistance in securing the ship and in unloading, the Captain looked at Sarah, who nodded her head yes. "Yes, we will need assistance docking. Damned sailors snuck on a whole crate of liquor and are all passed out drunk. However, we have a land crew standing by to do the unloading." The harbormaster just laughed and said he would have a crew there to secure the ship. That ended the conversation and the Captain hung up.

"Well done, Captain. Thank you." Sarah smiled as she spoke to him in a gentle voice. "Is there anything we can do to assist you?"

"No. Thank you. We will get you into port. Then please let us leave in peace."

"I'm sorry, you will have to remain onboard until we depart. Then you will be free to do whatever it is you do when you are in port." She again smiled at him.

The docking went smoothly, without incident, and the ship was quickly secured. Now they had to wait for the unloading crew to arrive. As soon as the gangway was lowered two custom agents came aboard. The Captain moved out to meet them and handed them an oversized briefcase. The two agents looked inside the case, bowed to the Captain, and left without another word.

"Well, that certainly expedited the process. Nothing like having the customs agents in your pocket." They had been watching from inside the Bridge, hidden by the glare on the glass windows. Chuck watched in amazement, while Sarah and Tristan just shook their heads; it wasn't really a surprise to either of them.

Soon after, a long line of trucks came up to the ship and about 50 men jumped out. Two men ran up the gangway, moving to the onboard crane, while another group began opening the large upper deck doors to allow access to the holds.

In just under two hours all the non-nuclear weapons had been unloaded and the trucks departed. No one looked in any of the crates so they wouldn't know the weapons had been destroyed until they reached their destination. Hopefully they were being taken at least a day's drive away so there wouldn't be any angry calls coming back to the port. Sarah figured that would be the plan, so these weapons would be far enough away to avoid any of the radiation or fallout from the nuclear blasts.

Then the nukes were unloaded. The first nine, all from the port hold, were unloaded first and loaded on more trucks: three in the first truck, and two each in the next three. This actually simplified the plan: Morgan brought both Seal Teams and the two _Verbanski Corp_ teams back together and assigned them one truck each. The Rangers and Casey and Verbanski would get the two bombs destined for the Nbora refugee camp and Djibouti respectively, while Chuck, Sarah, and Tristan would take care of the one remaining in Boosaaso. The process of assigning the recovery teams went exactly as planned, with everyone breathing a sigh of relief once that part of the mission was in operation.

Finally the last three nukes, from the starboard hold, were unloaded. They were all lifted out together, and then moved to three trucks. The team had not been sure if the bomb meant for Boosaaso would be moved to another location in the city or just detonated onboard the freighter. Now they knew it was going somewhere else. So now, Chuck, Sarah, and Tristan had to get off the ship and onto that truck. This had been Sarah's biggest worry in the plan, and it was proving to be a very big problem.

They had decided to just walk down the gangway and hope no one stopped them. Just as they were nearing the hatch nearest where the gangway joined the ship, a big, black limousine pulled up next to the trucks. Two large men carrying Uzi's jumped out and opened the rear, left door. The team stopped and watched a woman climb out of the limo, and move to the first truck. She looked inside the cargo area and under the carriage. She then repeated this on each of the other trucks, before turning towards the ship.

As the woman moved to, and then up, the gangway, Sarah inhaled sharply, bringing her hands to her mouth. Chuck instantly freaked out: this was the woman … Victoria Ryker … he had flashed on back in Cairo. She was truly an evil woman, with no scruples of any kind. He grabbed Sarah by the arm and pulled her back from the hatch. "Sarah, do you know who that is? Oh my God, why is she here?"

"Don't freak out, Chuck; I think I'm doing that for both of us right now. She looks just like her brother. Now we _really_ have to get off this ship. Buuuut hoooooow?" Sarah stretched these two words out as she was looking around, trying to see another exit, while her brain worked furiously to figure out a way to get off, without using the gangway.

Tristan didn't know who she was, but the sight of her was obviously scaring his partners, and that scared him even more. These two were incomparable operatives and if this woman was a problem for them, then they were certainly in deep doo-doo! "Hey, you two. Fill me in."

"She's Victoria Ryker. Kicked out of the CIA for being too ruthless and completely unprincipled. If our source is correct, she is the brains behind this whole scheme. She will kill us on sight. Well, maybe spare Sarah in order to torture her; it's a long story. Anyway, we have to get off this ship, one, to get away from Crazy Vicky, and, two, follow the bomb."

"You two kids get off and stop the bomb. I'll stay back and detonate the bombs to scuttle the ship. Maybe we can catch her still onboard."

"NO!", Sarah overheard Tristan's last comment and grabbed him by the arm. "We are all going, and that's final Sergeant! Come on, we have to get aft asap!"

They raced down the passageway, hoping there was a hatch at the rear of this section of the freighter, that would let them get to the aft end. Chuck just hoped Sarah had some idea what to do once they got there.


	26. Going for a Swim

A/N: So we left Chuck and Sarah, trapped on the _Cape Red Fear_ and Casey and Verbanski waiting impatiently (well, Casey is impatient!) to grab the nuke headed their way. _Things are gonna 'splode!_

Thanks for all you reading and your kind comments. Remember the ten hour difference between Boosaaso and LA. Italics are characters' thoughts.

Don't own these characters but sure do appreciate getting to take them out and play with them. Thanks Warner Bros., nbc, and everyone else actually connected to _Chuck_.

**XXVI. Going for a Swim**

**Scene 112: February 3. 2013  
****3:30 pm (Cairo)  
****Outside Boosaaso**

The energy between them was growing with every moment; every nerve ending seemed to alternate between burning and freezing. The electricity shooting between them was almost palpable and made the hot interior of the car seem like it would combust at any minute. They had not spoken in some time, but each knew the other was feeling the rising spark of excitement, and it would not be long before it could no longer be contained. Neither had ever felt a connection to another person like this; it was overwhelming. They were both breathing hard and sweat poured from every pore. _Come on, come on, come on_ was the only thought on either of their minds.

"Dammit! How slow can that truck go?" Casey once again slammed the steering wheel of their car. "It's only fifteen miles and they've been on the road for an hour."

"John! Relax, will you! You know these places: narrow streets, lots of civilians on foot, poor road conditions. They're still on our scanner and still headed this way. You're going to pop a gasket soon if you don't calm down."

"But Gertrude, sitting here, waiting like this, is plain stupid. They could have stopped and unload the damned thing ... or, hell ... even detonated it, for all we know."

With a small chuckle, Gertrude reached over and stroked the side of Casey's head and neck, feeling the rivulets of sweat moisten her fingers. "Of course they didn't detonate it. For crying out loud, we would have seen the flash and felt the tremor, not to mention being dead by now. Plus, the signal hasn't stopped moving long enough to unload unless they just dropped it in the middle of the street. Where's that famous Casey patience? You hid out in the mountains of Afghanistan for two years and you can't just wait here for two hours? I think you've gone soft on me."

"Ungh!" Casey's head whipped around to stare menacingly at his girlfriend at her last comment. But the smile on her face stopped him cold. He WAS a changed man from those days in the Corps and NSA. _Damn you, Bartowski!_ But he also had to admit he had never felt happier than in the past six months or so. _Well, minus this last month and this godforsaken mission._ "Alright. alright; you're right. I'm just not used to all this waiting around. I'm a man of action."

"Oh, that you are, John, that you are. But I don't think we can do that out here, right now." Spoken with a low, seductive voice, and another disarming smile caused Casey to smile back, barely grunting at her intimation.

Verbanski was moving toward him, preparing to give him a kiss, when their scanner alarm began beeping wildly. This is what they had been waiting for so impatiently: the truck was within a mile of their location.

She jumped out of the car and ran behind the trees. As soon as she was out, Casey pulled the the car into the middle of the road and popped the hood. Using a rag, he opened the radiator cap and steam spewed up and out. The truck was insight and began to slow when the driver saw the car in the road. Casey was waving his arms to make sure they saw him and would stop.

The man riding in the passenger seat leaned out the window and waved for him to move out of the way. "Is he serious?" Casey muttered as he realized the truck was not going to stop. He ran towards the truck and stayed in front of it as it began to go around the car. Finally, at the last minute, the driver slammed on the brakes and the truck skidded to a stop just inches from Casey's feet.

The guard jumped from the truck, yelling and waving his arms in a language Casey did not understand. Casey was yelling and waving his arms right back at the man, who obviously didn't understand English either. As they continued to yell, two shots rang out from the rear of the truck and the guard turned to look in that direction. Casey grabbed him by the head and shoulders and there was a sickening crack as he broke the man's neck. By this time, the driver had jumped out of the truck, but Verbanski was right behind him and two more shots rang out, dropping him to the ground. The whole thing hadn't even taken ten seconds.

Casey went to the back of the truck and pulled out the two guards Gertrude had shot. _She's still got it._ He drug them to the car and dumped them in the back seat. Gertrude had already loaded the other two men into the front seat. Casey then leaned in, started the engine and put it into gear. He hung on the side for dear life as he steered it around in a circle and aimed it at the trees. He had used the leg of one of the dead men to jam on the accelerator, and once it was headed straight, he jumped clear. He had not yet finished his roll when the car slammed into the trees and burst into flames. It wouldn't fool a true crime investigator, but it was doubtful anyone out here would go to that trouble.

Verbanski was already in the driver's seat of the truck and Casey jogged over and climbed aboard. _Damn, she looks good behind the wheel of a 2 1/2 ton military cargo truck!_ They were headed back to the staging area where, hopefully, all the bombs would be brought, in order to be extracted safety. Casey pulled out his satellite phone and dialed in the necessary codes that would go directly to _Carmichael Industries_. Hopefully all the other teams had just as easy a time in their recoveries.

"Now, wasn't the wait worth it?"

"Yeah, I guess. Would have been more fun if they'd put up a little more fight. Can't have everything, I guess."

"Well … if it will help, Casey, I'll put up a fight tonight." Gertrude laughed long and loud as a wide eyed look appeared on his face. She wasn't quite sure, though, if it was surprise or anticipation.

**Scene 113: February 3, 2013  
****3:45 pm (Cairo)  
**_**Cape Red Fear**_**, Port Boosaaso**

They reached the railing at the aft end of the ship and came to a screeching halt. Looking over the edge there was no rope, chain, ladder, or any other way to climb down. Tristan ran to starboard and Sarah to port to see if there was any other way down. Chuck remained at the rail hoping a flash would bring him an idea. But there was nothing … from any of them.

Suddenly the railing exploded in gunfire; someone above them was firing an AK-47 at them. They raced back to the wall, using the walkways above them, for cover.

"I have a smoke grenade. If I throw this onto the walkway above us, you can get to the railing and dive overboard. We aren't that high above the water so you should be okay." Sgt. Tristan pulled the grenade out of his inside jacket pocket and began looking for the best way to get it up to the catwalk.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Jump overboard? Are you crazy?" Chuck's little girl voice was back again, along with a look of panic on his face. He grabbed Sarah's arm to steady himself, "I can't do this."

"Chuck. You've fallen further than that … remember? ... into a hotel swimming pool with Casey. Come on, honey, relax. You. Can. Do. This!" Sarah was looking him in the eyes with all the love and caring she could muster. She knew this was more dangerous than she was making it out to be, but she had to calm and reassure her adorably frightened husband.

"Okay, you two, I'll throw it; wait for it to explode, then count to three before you go. Don't hesitate! Got it?"

They both shook their heads yes. Tristan pulled the pin, dashed out about five feet, and threw the grenade up to the walkway. It exploded and smoke filled the air as they braced to make the desperate dash to the railing. On three they took off and made it all the way to the railing before the gunfire started again.

Sarah easily cleared the railing and made a clean, feet first, entry into the water. Coming back to the surface, she looked around for Chuck, but didn't see him. Then she looked up and saw him hanging from the railing. "Chuck! Come on Chuck. Let go!"

Chuck made it to the railing but panicked at the last minute and got hung up, straddling the railing. He watched Sarah hit the water and go under, and then felt Tristan lifting his leg over the railing. He was fighting to hold onto the the railing so he wouldn't fall backwards when a round of bullets tore through Tristan's legs and up his back. He shoved Chuck one last time and then fell, with his head hanging over the edge of the deck. Chuck had slipped down the railing but was still hanging on, his head even with the deck, and his eyes wide with fear. "Go, Chuck, go. Love that woman of yours."

"Nooooo!" was all Chuck could scream as he watched Tristan being torn apart by the bullets. He also hear Sarah yelling at him from below, to let go and fall into the water. But he had to try to help the sergeant. He started to pull himself back up but Tristan reached out and grabbed his jacket. Pulling the detonator for the bombs out of Chuck's pocket, he looked at Chuck, smiled through a grimace of pain, and pushed him hard enough to break his hand hold. Plummeting down, he hit the water sooner than expected. Strong hands grabbed him almost instantly and pulled him to the surface. Wet lips were quickly on his, and he felt his arms surround the angel who had just pulled him to the surface of the dirty, oily water.

"Come on, Chuck, we have to get under cover." They swam to the inside edge of the rudder. From above, bullets pounded into the water, but whoever was firing was just shooting blindly.

From above a harsh, woman's voice came down to them: "Walker! I saw you Walker! I will not rest until you are dead! Do you hear me, Walker? You will pay for your sins!"

"What now?" Chuck was still freaking out, and the voice from above, almost wraith-like, chilled them both to the bone, despite the warm, tropical water they were floating in.

"We need to wait a bit, then work our way…."

Suddenly they were both rocked by a series of explosions coming from inside the freighter. "Oh my God. Tristan set of the bombs to scuttle the ship. Oh crap, Chuck, we've got to get away from here or we'll be sucked under, at best, or blown up too, at worst. Stay as close to the pier as you can until we can get around that corner; it looks to be about 300 yards away. Go, go go!"

Tristan watched Chuck hit the water and smiled as Sarah pulled him back to the surface. He wanted to move but nothing below his chest worked. Running steps were coming towards him and he heard an AK-47 being fired into the water. A shrieking woman's voice was shouting but he was no longer able to make out the words. His body jerked and he realized someone was kicking him, but he didn't feel pain any longer. He heard a handgun being cocked and knew he had only seconds to finish the mission. He could only feel the detonator in his hand and, with the final ounce of strength in his body, he pushed the button, just as everything went black. He never heard or felt the explosions, or the screams from the man and woman standing over him.

Explosions rocked the ship from stem to stern, and debris began to rain down on the pier, the sea, and Chuck and Sarah. Fortunately, the pier protected them somewhat. But now the water was being stirred up and the waves were slamming them both into the skirting on the side of the pier. Chuck had never been a great swimmer and was laboring along. Sarah, realizing he wasn't keeping up, stopped to let him catch up. "You okay, honey? Let's just hang here a bit."

"No, Sarah, let's keep going. Don't want that psycho woman to catch us out here."

They swam on and finally reached the end of the pier. There was a ladder just around the corner, and they climbed up to peer over the edge of the dock. Sirens shrieked throughout the port and a couple of fireboats had arrived to begin pouring water onto the wreckage. There were some crates and boxes a few feet away, so they moved onto the dock and ran to the boxes. Looking over and around them, they could see the freighter, listing badly to starboard, with water almost up to the bridge windows. That was probably as far as it would sink, being in port and at dock, but it was never going to sail again. Chuck pointed out that Ryker's limousine was still on the dock, now sporting a large portion of the radar antenna, laying across it, crushing the roof.

"You don't suppose she got caught onboard do you?"

"We should be so luc…." The end of the sentence never came as another massive explosion rocked the pier, knocking a couple of the crates onto their heads. They clung to each other, Chuck pulling Sarah under him as much as possible, as metal and wood clanged all around them. The noise was deafening and smoke now obliterated their view of what remained of the ship.

"Oh, no! Sarah … THE BOMB! We've lost the nuke." He was gripping her arms like a vise and his eyes were as full of panic as she had ever seen.

**Scene 114: February 3, 2013  
****6:18 am (LA)/9:18 am (DC)  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

"General, everything was going according to plan. We have captured eleven of the twelve nukes and we even have satellite tracking on the truck convoy with the non-nuclear weapons. Hopefully we can identify their destination for future reference."

"But you said 'was going'. What's happened now?"

"Well, it appears the freighter has exploded. At least it was not nuclear. And," he took a deep breath, "we have once again lost contact with Chuck and Sarah."

"Well, find them!" The General practically screamed at him. She quickly regained her composure but the look of concern on her face was still obvious. In almost a whisper, she continued: "Find them, Mr. Grimes." After another brief pause she continued again, now in her normal voice: "And what about that twelfth nuclear weapon?"

"I can tell you that the bomb was unloaded and has moved out of the port. However, we don't have anyone to follow it at present. I'll just have to call you back if any more intel comes through. Morgan out." This time Morgan got to break the connection first.

"Morgan, Morgan, Morgan! Their GPS trackers just popped back on. They are at the far end of the dock."

"YES! I'll bet they jumped overboard and got the trackers wet, causing them to go off line until they dried out. Chuck has just got to patents all these great toys; we are going to make a bundle!" Morgan was rubbing his hands together and bouncing up and down.

Laughing, Alex grabbed her man's shoulders and then ruffled his hair. "How do we contact them?"

She had no more than gotten that question out when the phone alert went off on the computer. Morgan looked up at her with a big smile and pointed at the screen. "I think they are calling us! Hello?"

"Hey, Morgan, we're still alive."

"Thank goodness, Chuck. Are you both okay?"

"We are fine. But … uh, well … Sgt. Tristan didn't ... uh ... make it. He blew up the ship."

"We are getting the satellite feed and … oh, wow! You guys really made a mess of that ship and the pier."

"Listen, Morgan, we still aren't out of the woods here. We need your help."

**Scene 115: February 3, 2013  
****5:42 pm (Cairo)  
****Somali Desert Staging Area**

Verbanski had driven the truck non-stop to the staging area. They had moved along without incident and had been joined by two of the other trucks along the route. All the other teams were already in the camp, and their trucks were being prepped for departure. A CH-47 Chinook helicopter had joined the party, and the trucks, nukes and all, would be loaded onto this heavy lift chopper. She pulled the truck into the line of others and Casey jumped out. Col. Hastings was there and the two men shook hands, even bumped fists. Shutting down the engine, Gertrude climbed down and joined the men, wrapping an arm around Casey's waist.

"Are all the teams here?" Casey was all business.

"All except the final team from Boosaaso. That's your friends, right?"

"Damn! Where are they? Do we have a way to track them?"

"John," Gertrude stepped in front of him, "you know we are still in radio silence as long as any of the teams are still in the field." Casey grimaced and grunted, but she continued on, "So, why don't we call _Carmichael Industries_. Remember how Morgan gave us those 'special' codes. Hmmm?"

How long until the Chinook is loaded, Bob?"

"About thirty minutes for what is already here. How long do we wait for your friends with the last one?"

"I'll get on that," and Casey turned on his heel and headed for the communications tent.

"Roger that," Col. Hastings muttered. _Never seen Casey so emotional. Is that what comes of growing old?_

"Colonel, where's the girl?"

"She's in Blackhawk two-niner. She's conscious but won't talk to any of us."

Gertrude thanked him and ran to the chopper he had indicated. One of the medics, Sgt. Alice Johnson, was with the girl, monitoring her IV's. "Ms. Verbanski, welcome back. She's doing much better, but has still not spoken. We don't know if she understands us or not."

"Thank you, Sergeant." Turning to the girl, Gertrude reached out and took her hand, and smiled. "I don't know if you understand me at all but I want you to know you are safe. We are going to take you to a ship for more treatment. When we can communicate, you can tell us what you want to do, once you are well. You are safe, I promise you."

The girl looked her in the eyes and smiled. "Amaani; name is…." It wasn't much but it spoke volumes. Verbanski returned the smile and repeated the name; she stayed with her a few minutes, stroking her forehead and hair. _Since when did I get to be such a softy? Casey would say I've been Bartowski-ized!_

The entire camp had been struck except the comm tent, and it would go as soon as the evac order came through. Entering this one remaining tent, Casey asked all the men present to give him the room. Lt. Jacobs was one of the men and asked if he needed any help? "No, I've got it," was all the response he got.

"Come on, Grimes, answer the damned phone." It had taken almost ten minutes to get all the codes typed in, and then even longer for them to pass through all the checkpoints and firewalls, before the signal was sent to _CI_. "What's he doing, taking a vacation."

Gertrude had just walked into the tent and heard Casey's exclamation. "Calm down, Casey. You know this takes awhile. Maybe he's talking to Beckman, or even Chuck and Sarah."

"Yeah, right. Slacker is just…."

"Hello? Is that you, Casey?" The sound was full of static but obviously Grimes.

"About damn time, moron."

"Hi, dad!"

This caught Casey off guard and he had to swallow before he could speak again. "Hey, Alex. Glad you're there."

"Casey, we can't really talk right now. The freighter has exploded and we've only just now reacquired signals from Chuck and Sarah. I'm working with them right now so I'll have to get back to you when things calm down. Okay, talk to you soon." And the line went dead.

"Wait ... moron … don't cut me…. Dammit!"

Lt. Jacobs stuck his head back in the tent. "Sorry, but the Chinook is ready to go. What are our orders?"

Casey and Verbanski walked back out to the flight line. Col. Sanchez, Capt. Nelson, and Col. Hastings were all waiting for him. "Let's get everyone out of here. Bob, do we have enough choppers to take the _VCorp_ teams out, too?"

"Sure. Do we take them to the carrier, too?"

"Yes, please. Do you mind if they tag along? We will arrange for their pickup from there, if that will suit the Navy."

"No problem, Ms. Verbanski."

"Do you have another car we can use?"

"Yes, but why?"

"I'm stay, and…."

"We're staying…." Verbanski interjected, causing a grunt and grimace from Casey.

"We're staying, and headed back to Boosaaso to see if we can help with the last team. We will arrange for alternative transportation from there."

"Roger, that. Good luck, Casey, Gertrude. Nice working with you both."

"Same here, Colonel. Get the boys, and those freakin' nukes, home safe." All the men saluted and everyone shook hands, before they all headed to the choppers. A small cleaner team of Rangers would stay behind and would drive out in about two hours.

After all the helicopters had lifted off and passed out of sight, over the sea, Verbanski and Casey walked back to the comm tent. There, Casey told the Lieutenant to go ahead and strike the tent and equipment and head out. These men would drive out the two remaining trucks to a clean pickup rendezvous. After another round of salutes and handshakes the soldiers went back to work and Casey and Verbanski walked to the remaining car.

"So … now what's your plan, John?"

"We head back to the city. Hopefully, either the nuke has been secured, or they know where it is, so we can go get it. Guess it's up to Grimes to coordinate between us and the others. You have any better ideas?"

"No. That's our best bet right now. But how is Morgan going to contact us? He'll try calling the Rangers and their gone now."

"Hopefully he's smart enough to call the satellite phone. I know, I know, it's not protocol, but it's all we have. Let's go."

They jumped in and Casey gunned the engine, throwing up clouds of dust as he fishtailed out of the copse.


	27. Out of the Frying Pan

A/N: Thanks for all the comments and inspiration. These are always appreciated.

I don't own anything here except the joy of imagining these wonderful characters continuing their adventures.

Counting this chapter, there are five more to go. Really appreciate everyone sticking with me through all this. Our heros and their friends still have a lot of work to do here so let's not delay any longer...

**XXVII. Out of the Frying Pan….**

**Scene ****116. February 3, 2013  
****4:27 pm (Cairo)  
****Boosaaso, Somalia**

"Of course, big guy, what can we do?"

"Well, we had to jump into the water so everything but our waterproof satellite phone is out. And we've lost the nuke, so we need you to track it, and help us find a way to chase it down."

"You have called the right man, my friend. Hold on just a sec." There were some beeps and other electronic noises before Morgan came back, "Okay. I've got help coming your way so just stay put. By the way, everything is back online. I waterproofed all the trackers. They did go off while in the water but once you got out, they quickly dried and came back up."

"Morgan, you are a genius! Thank you so much. But what kind of help is coming?"

Just then Sarah bumped his shoulder and pointed up the dock. An emergency vehicle had separated from the others sitting by the damaged pier and ship, and drove down towards them. A big smile popped up on Sarah's face when she saw a woman jump down from the vehicle and run towards them. It was Agent Marconi.

Sarah jumped up and ran forward, "Angela! Oh, are you sight to see!" The two women came together quickly and embraced. Chuck walked up and Angela started to hug him too, thought better of it, and held out her hand. He took her hand in a warm handshake and looked from her to Sarah with a smile.

"We've been really worried about your two. Uh, where's Sgt. Tristan?"

Both Chuck and Sarah looked down and their shoulders slumped at the mention of their partner's name. Their hands sought each other, as they always do when under stress. "Sorry, Angela, he … uh … he didn't make it."

Angela's face set into the stony calm that Chuck recognized as 'the spy face'. He had seen it on Sarah's face, too many times over the years, and hated it, for all that it meant, both for his Sarah, and for every other spy that found it necessary to wear it. _I understand it, but I just don't agree with it._ He reached out with his other hand, putting it on Angela's shoulder, and squeezing it lightly.

Sarah brought the trio back to the moment, "Okay, Angela, first of all, why are you here? Have you been in contact with _Carmichael Industries_ or General Beckman?"

"To answer your last question first: yes, I am in contact with both Mr Grimes and the General. We are tracking the weapon and can pursue it at your convenience. As to the first, the General ordered me here, with a two man team, to monitor the situation and be ready to provide assistance if/when needed. Looks like she was correct."

"Guess you're right, Angela. Let's go find us a nuke." Chuck was smiling and couldn't stop thinking about how motherly, the stiff, all-business, General Diane Beckman had become towards them. _We need to start inviting her to family events._

Once in the vehicle, Sarah asked, "So what's the word from _CI_? Have the rest of the nukes been captured?

"Yes, they have been, and are on their way to the extraction point. Now all we have to do is track this one down. But, before we go further, wouldn't you two like to get cleaned up and eat something? You both look pretty much the worse for wear."

"As attractive as all that sounds, we really need to get this done. We don't know the timetable for detonation, so, the sooner the better. Although, if you have anything other than MRE's to eat, we would go for that."

They all laughed at this but, unfortunately, all they had onboard was water. They each took a couple of bottles of water to the rear of the vehicle and poured it over each other's head, trying to wash some of the grime and salt out of their hair, and off their faces. They enjoyed the time, playing with each other's hair, and making fun of just how bad they looked at the moment.

The three agents, up front, looked at each other as the laughter wafted forward. Angela had seen them together, so she wasn't surprised, but the two men were looking pretty uncomfortable with what they were hearing. Angela reminded them that these two had just completed the mission aboard the freighter. They just grimaced and tried to close their senses to everything but the road ahead, as indicated by the scanner.

It took them about an hour to catch up. On the outskirts of Boosaaso they drove into a small square where the signal stopped. There was a large well in the center, creating a circular drive, bordered by buildings on all four sides. The buildings were a variety of sizes and shapes, but there was no truck in sight; it had to be inside one of the buildings. Apparently, one or more of the buildings had a well disguised door, large enough to allow a truck to enter.

After driving east, out of the square, and parking a block away, the two men in Angela's team did a reconnaissance of the area and confirmed the nuke's signal to be coming from the warehouse-looking building on the north side of the square. They also reported that there was no good way to approach the building without being seen. Not wanting to bring attention to themselves, they drove down the road another half mile and pulled up next to a burned out building that had once been a market.

"We are going to have to contact Beckman and see how she wants us to proceed." Angela was speaking for her team, while the men nodded their agreement. "If we get caught, they are sure to detonate immediately. We need more backup."

"The more people we bring, the more likely we will be discovered, not to mention the time it will take. And we are suppose to be operating under radio silence. Chuck and I have done this before and can get in there. The sun has almost set, so we should be able to move in about 20 minutes."

"Sarah, we have direct satellite communication with Beckman and _CI_. We've been talking all day, and I really don't think anyone could intercept the signals."

"I realize that you've been in contact, but not a mission team. Plus, any signal can be tracked, if one knows where to look. If they find the signal, they could track it back to this location, tip off our friends in the truck, and compromise our whole operation."

Just as she was saying this, an old car roared up behind their vehicle, and skidded to a stop. As the dust cleared, both front doors of their truck were yanked open and the two agents were pulled out their respective doors. Then a gruff voice called out, "Okay, everyone come out slowly, through the front, hands in the air."

"Casey, Casey, Casey. It's us. Don't shoot." Chuck moved quickly to the front and waved his arms at their friends. "Please don't hurt those guys. They are CIA."

"Oh for…. How can the CIA be caught so off guard. Walker! You in there?"

"Yeah, Casey, I'm here, too. Help them up, John; play nice."

"Walker, you need to teach these boys how to handle themselves out in the field. Might as well have set off a searchlight in the sky with the bat signal."

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other and cracked up laughing. "Are you kidding me, Casey? The bat signal? Where did that come from?"

"Geez, Bartowski, you didn't think I was a boy once? Now ... what the hell's going on?"

**Scene ****117. February 3, 2013  
****8:30 am (LA) / 11:30 am (DC)  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

"General, I want to update you on the progress of the mission."

"Thank you, Mr. Grimes. It looks like everything is going well."

"Yes. ma'am. Eleven of the nukes, along with both Seal Teams, the Rangers, and the _VCorp_ teams are now onboard the _USS Boxer. _We also have the location of the non-nuclear weapons."

"As they are probably non-operational, we can save that for another day."

"Agreed. Casey and Verbanski have linked up with Chuck and Sarah, as well as Agent Marconi's team, and they are within a mile of the last nuclear weapon. However, we have had no actual contact, so we don't know the plan or timetable."

"This is all very good news. I have to report this intel to my superiors. You have done an excellent job, Mr. Grimes. _Carmichael Industries_ has been an invaluable asset these past few weeks. Let me know as soon as you hear more from the remaining team." As usual, she signed off quickly, without further comment, or allowing Morgan to say more.

As the screen first went blank, and then recycled up to monitor the three teams still in the field, Morgan jumped up and did a dance around the station. It was a cross between Harold Hill of _The Music Man_, the chicken dance, and the hustle. Alex was just walking in, with two mugs of coffee, and she burst out laughing. Morgan, caught, as usual, doing something very strange looking, stopped and pulled his arms back down to his sides. Even with his heavy beard, the blush on his face was quite evident.

"You do _Jeffster_ proud, Morgan," invoking the name of their crazy _BuyMore_ friends' band. "Speaking of which, do you ever hear from them?"

"Naw. They're too big of stars in Europe to contact little ol' me. But I try to keep track of them on the internet. Sorry about … that," he gestured around the desk, "but Beckman finally gave me a pat on the back. Well, actually all of _CI_ ... including you, me lady." He took the coffee from her and took a sip. _Ah, just like I like it! She sure knows me to a tee. I guess after these two weeks, practically non-stop, and no sleep, we're about as close as we can get._

She smiled at him, raising her eyebrows over the rim of her mug. _I am so lucky to have him in my life. I can't believe how much I enjoyed worked together on this mission. I can't wait for Sarah to get back so we can finalize the proposal._

"So I guess we are still on watch; we have to backup Dad and the team. You think they will be moving in soon?"

"It's almost an hour past sundown there, so they should move soon. Not knowing the detonation timetable makes it impossible to wait any longer. Otherwise, they would probably wait three or four hours so the guards would be getting groggy."

As Morgan was talking, Alex deftly moved from her chair to his, and then slid onto his lap. In surprise, he almost tipped the chair over backwards. His now empty mug clattered to the floor when she wrapped her arms around his neck and began to nuzzle his ear with her lips. His mouth began to work but only funny sounds came out as his brain overloaded with a rush of adrenaline from the desire he felt for his wonderful girlfriend.

Alex worked her way down his neck and then back up, finally finding his lips with her own. She loved the feel of his beard, the hair surprisingly soft. Morgan was running his hands up and down her back and arms now, as their lips worked together, heightening their desires. Alex tried a couple of times to stand but Morgan gripped her with all his strength, holding her tightly. Finally she broke their lip lock and breathlessly spoke in a very sexy, husky voice, "Morgan … sofa … now."

"Uhhhhhmmmmo-o-o-okay," was all he could get out. Once on their feet they continued to grasp each other and kiss, while moving quickly to the sofa in the back corner of the room. Buttons and zippers opened as they moved, and clothing was strewn across the room, until they landed on the sofa, and they were completely lost in one another, time seeming to stand still.

**Scene ****118. February 3, 2013  
****7:00 pm (Cairo)  
****Warehouse District, Boosaaso**

They split up into three teams: Chuck and Sarah was designated Gold Team, Casey and Verbanski Red Team, Agent Marconi and Agent McDonagall Blue Team. Agent Bright would remain in the vehicle to coordinate and lend support if necessary. They had all donned earwigs and synced their watches with the radios in the vehicle so they could remain in contact, making last minute adjustments easier.

Casey and Verbanski left first, moving south, away from their target one block, before circling around to make their approach from the north. It would take them 30 minutes or more to reach their entry point.

Chuck and Sarah left next, ten minutes later, and moved to the east, over one block and around to the back of the building. They would come in from the northeast. Even leaving after the other two, their trip was shorter and easier. Getting into position first, they could let the other two teams know the exact details of the building and entrances.

Finally, Marconi and McDonagall, walked towards their target, looking like a couple out for a stroll, having consumed a bit too much alcohol. They would arrive last, with the attack timed to their arrival. The plan was for all three pairs to enter together, hopefully in a surprise attack.

As they approached the warehouse, moving from shadow to shadow, Chuck and Sarah saw that there was a fire escape, leading all the way up to the roof. This would give them the advantage of being on high ground, so they changed their initial plan. Wearing night vision goggles made the climb easier, but they still moved slowly, in order to be on the lookout for security sensors and trip wires.

Once at the top, Chuck peered over the edge of the roof, trying to see if there were guards on the roof. Sure enough, two men with AK-47's were standing at the northwest corner; They appeared to be pointing down at something. Chuck whispered to Sarah: "Two men at the far wall. That's where Casey and Verbanski are coming in. I'm afraid they may have been spotted."

Nodding acknowledgement, Sarah effortlessly hurdled the short wall and crouched in the shadow. If there were sensors up here, she would already be spotted, so she continued moving. There was an antenna array about ten yards away and she silently sprinted there. She pulled a knife out of her boot with her right hand, and her silenced Smith & Wesson with her left. Taking three quick steps towards the men, she let the knife fly. It struck the man to her left just below the shoulder blade, piercing the flesh and burying itself in his lung. As he screamed and fell, the other man began to turn, but she double tapped him in the heart and added a third shot to the head. Running up to them, she kicked the first man in the side of the head, rendering him unconscious. Kneeling, she checked the second man who, as she already knew, was dead.

She looked over the side and saw Casey and Verbanski moving along the base of the next building. Turning back to the two men, she checked them for walkie-talkies or other communication devices, but found none: obviously a low budget operation. This was good news: they could not have warned whoever was inside the building. But were there cameras or other sensing devices?

Chuck had joined her by this time and had his usual, wide-eyed look on his face. On one level, he understood the vicious, efficient, killing machine side of this amazing woman. But on another, he would never, ever be as callous about it as the rest of his team. He had seen a lot of people die during his time as a spy, but he vowed to never become accustomed to it.

"Attention all teams," Sarah called. Once they had all acknowledged, she continue, "We have adjusted our approach and are now on the roof. Red Team: know that you have been spotted, but the watchers have been eliminated. We don't think you have been compromised, but can not be sure." They were lucky to have the truck to serve as a base and coordinate all their communications; having the manpower to have a coordinator there was a real bonus. She smiled as she thought about all the times they had asked … no, told … Chuck to _stay in the car_. Of course, he never did though, always going to rescue one or the other of them. _What a wonderful man … my Chuck._

"Red Team, copy."

"Blue Team, copy."

"Bright, copy."

"Gold Team: suggest you penetrate the building. That will put you in position to support the others when make their assault."

"Copy that. Bright, you will have to be our eyes. Let us know when the others are ready."

"Copy."

"You ready, Chuck? Being on high ground, we will be the support team for the others. You overlook the north, for Red Team's entry, and I will watch the south for Blue. I love you, Chuck."

"I love you, too, Sarah." It was impossible, with the goggles in place, for them to kiss, but they embraced and held each other for several moments. Neither wanted to let go, but knew they had a job to do.

Half way across the roof, towards the front of the building, was a small, shack-like structure, with the door propped open. They figured that was the way in, so they moved quickly, but silently, over there. Sarah took point, peering inside and pulling back out, several times. She didn't see any more men, or any security devices, so she moved inside. There was a set of six steps, leading down to a landing. From there, a catwalk ran diagonally across the entire interior.

Looking down to the floor, three stories below, they could tell that the truck had been parked just inside the garage door, facing outward. It looked like they were planning to set the bomb, and then use the truck to escape. Plus, it made a formidable blockade in case someone tried to ram their way through the big door. But what really caught their attention was sitting in the middle of the floor, a single light shining on it. Chuck immediately flashed, the instant information retrieval showing him it was an old Soviet RDS-4, _Tatyana_, 42 kiloton tactical nuclear weapon.

He grabbed Sarah with one hand, nearly crushing her arm with the strength of his grip. She looked at him in alarm, and could tell he had flashed. Even though they had been on the ship with all twelve of the weapons, they had focused on installing the trackers, and not giving the actual weapons much thought. Now, the weapon was uncrated and appeared to be prepped for detonation. That made the immediacy of their situation much more daunting.

Suddenly, four large spotlights, until now, hidden in the dark corners of the warehouse, flashed on. All four were pointed at the catwalk where they stood, still wearing their night vision goggles. The massive, intense lights seared into their retinas and brains. Sarah screamed and grabbed at her goggles, pulling them off, but was completely disoriented, pain shooting through her head. Her weapons and goggles dropped as she knelt on the catwalk, covering her eyes with the hands.

Chuck's goggles didn't come off with the first grab, and he reflexively opened his eyes to see what was wrong. The light blasted through his brain a second time, setting off a series of flashes: not his normal flash, on a person, place, or skill, but just random flashes that did not stop … it was almost like having a seizure triggered by strobes lights. Each one caused pain to rip through his head and he fell to his knees, writhing with the intense throbbing, rendering him paralyzed. He had not experienced anything like this since before getting the governor for the Intersect 2.0.

Neither of them saw the four men running across the catwalk, weapons out and at the ready. Rough hands grabbed both, and drug them across the catwalk to another landing, where they were thrown onto the floor of an open platform elevator.

They were just beginning to come out of the fog as the elevator hit bottom. The flashes had stopped for Chuck, but he was tightly curled in the fetal position, pain still etched across his face, and echoing through his brain.

Looking up, her hand shading her still sensitive eyes, Sarah could make out two men with rifles, standing on either side of a woman. "Hello, Agent Walker. I am SO glad you decided to join me."


	28. Battle

A/N: Everyone has been so good to me, reading this story as it got longer and longer, and sending lots of nice comments and discussion. I can not thank you enough.

Let's get right to it, with the typical disclaimers here, including please don't sue me for using your characters.

Enjoy!

**XXVIII. Battle**

**Scene 119: February 3, 2013  
****7:53 pm (Cairo)  
****Warehouse District, Boosaaso**

Casey and Verbanski … Red Team … moved seamlessly, each covering the other, as they leapfrogged along the side of the building to the west of their target. They had been moving steadily, if indirectly, towards the warehouse. They encountered no one, nor had they seen any signs of security precautions by those inside the warehouse. Hopefully all three teams would reach their entry points without being seen and engaged.

They were half way along the exterior wall, when Gold Team called, informing them that they had been seen. Knowing Walker as well as he did, Casey figured she had taken care of the problem ... with extreme prejudice. They knew they had to increase their diligence.

Verbanski, standing behind the kneeling Casey, leaned over his shoulder and whispered, "I have a bad feeling about this, John. I can't believe they wouldn't know about us inside. You know it's going to be bad if they capture Sarah, considering Walters' information about the Ryker woman."

"Agreed. We have to be ready to be ambushed when we enter."

They crossed the open space between buildings quickly. Casey was carrying the bulk of their firepower so Verbanski knelt down and began to explore the locks. There was a heavy chain, fastened with two padlocks, two sliding bars, also fastened with padlocks, and two regular door locks. She picked the six locks quickly and quietly, then removed the chain. The sliding bars were going to be the problem: they were rusted in place, so moving them was going to make plenty of noise. Casey pulled a small bottle out of his fatigue pants' patch pocket and handed it to Gertrude. She squirted the liquid over the bars where they had to move against the door and frame. The liquid contained both a rust-eating solution and a lubricant. Hopefully, this would loosen the bars and allow them to slide, at least a little quieter.

This was a vulnerable time because they were in an exposed position, and had to await the signal to move from Blue Team. If anything was going to go wrong, this would be the time and place. They were both vigilant, but a surprise attack would probably eliminate them both before they could respond.

"Mayday! Mayday! Blue Team under attack. Red Team, Go! Go! Go!"

"Damn! Copy!" Looking at Gertrude, he quietly said, "Lock and Load! Let's go!"

They each grabbed a bar and, on three, yanked with all their might. The bars did move, but with a grating sound that surely was heard throughout the warehouse. They both moaned, while pulling the door open and moving inside, one to each side of the door.

Huge spotlights, one in each corner, pointed up to the ceiling, throwing out a blinding light all around the room. It was almost impossible for them to make out any details of the huge room. Several men, standing in the center of the hugh warehouse space, were looking their way, but, because they were behind one of the spotlights, the men couldn't see exactly where they were, or how many had entered.

Gertrude poked Casey's arm and pointed to the center of the room: Sitting in the center of the large, open floorspace, was the nuke. It had been unpacked and the casing had been opened: a bad sign. But the thing that took their breath away was the table next to the bomb: there was a long table where their friend, Sarah, was strapped down, using two wide, vinyl bands across her upper torso and waist. As gunfire erupted, all the men near the bomb ran to the east wall to take cover. A woman, who appeared to be injured herself, continued to stand over Sarah, waving her one good arm and occasionally administering a blow to her head or ribs.

**Scene 120. February 3, 2013  
****7:55 pm (Cairo)  
****Warehouse District, Boosaaso**

Angela Marconi and Agent McDonagall had a direct route to the warehouse, so they waited until they thought the other two teams would be making their final approach. As they came in sight of the building they embraced and began to stagger slightly. They laughed loudly and stopped several times to embrace. Anyone watching would figure they were two young lovers, who had partied a little too hard, and were out walking it off. Hopefully, their direct, and noisy, approach would distract some, if not all, of the attention from the other two teams.

About half way there, Agent Walker informed them that they had gone to the roof. They would enter from there, and give support from above, for the other two teams. But Red Team had been spotted and that may have compromised the whole operation. They had no other choice than to continue, so they moved on towards the warehouse.

As they reached the corner of the building they were confronted by two men with handguns. Playing their roles as drunken lovers, Marconi and McDonagall, moved towards the men, acting like they wanted to talk to them. Just as they came within reach, two more men came around the corner of the building behind them, and the two in front attacked. Angela just had time to warn the other teams they were in trouble before her complete attention had to be used in defending herself.

Because they had hidden their weapons inside their clothing, and the two men in front of them were so close, they had to defend themselves hand-to-hand. McDonagall turned to face the attack from the rear while Marconi lashed out at the closest man in front of them. She was able to kick his gun away but he landed a punch to her shoulder, throwing her off balance, and knocking her up against the building. The second man fired a shot at her, hitting the building, but the ricochet slammed into her ribcage. She grimaced and started to fall, but her training and instinct kicked in. Despite the pain, she pulled a knife out of her boot … _thank you, Sarah, for teaching me this trick_ … and in one motion flung it underhanded, into the stomach of the first man.

McDonagall was fairing a little better, mostly because the other men did not seem to have any weapons. He met the first man head on and flung him back, into the arms of the second man. As they stumbled together he used a roundhouse kick to nail one in the jaw, and then, reversing direction, slammed a karate chop into the neck of the second. While they were trying to recover their footing, he quickly reached inside his coat to finally pulled out his Sig Sauer, shooting them both.

The man who shot at Angela was now standing over her, having hit her with a backhand. He was just bringing his gun up to her head when a third shot rang out and he jerked sideways, his gun rattling to the pavement. McDonagall, raced over to her and lifted her head to look into her eyes.

She was conscious and even gave him a small smile. "Hey, Harry. Nice shooting."

"Geez, Ang, let's take a look at you."

"No, we've got to get inside. I'm okay … more or less."

McDonagall noticed all the blood on her white blouse, "Hey! You've been shot. We need to…."

"Harry! It's okay; just a scratch. Now come on; help me up and let's move." Her determination impressed him and, despite his misgivings, he helped her up. She grimaced and sucked in air with a sharp hiss. He kept a hand on her arm as she leaned against the building, her eyes closed tightly. But then she opened her eyes, "Let's do this."

They moved to the closest door and McDonagall set plastic explosives on each of the locks; then they stood back. Three seconds later three small explosions came in quick succession. The noise was still echoing around as the two agents stepped inside, weapons drawn, coming to bear on whatever and whoever was in sight.

They saw several men firing towards the rear, left corner of the huge space, but before either could shoot, they found themselves under heavy fire themselves. They dove away from the door and rolled behind stacks of wooden pallets. The warehouse was so large it was impossible to tell exactly where the gunfire was coming from, or how many gunmen there were. The cavernous room, with a concrete floor and walls, caused all the gunfire to echo around and around, making even more confusion as to where all the gunmen were.

Angela looked through the open spaces of the pallets and saw Sarah strapped to a table next to the nuke. No one was shooting at her though, probably because they were afraid of hitting the nuke. There was another woman standing over her, screaming obscenities. _This must be that Ryker woman Walters told us about._ She looked all around, trying to find Chuck as well, but he was nowhere to be seen.

They began to hear, and feel, lower pitched booms; they had to be Casey's massive M-4 Carbine, fitted with the grenade launcher. He was not being indiscriminate with his firing, though, daring not to damage the weapon, or, worse yet, Sarah.

McDonagall saw Verbanski working her way down the west wall. It appeared she was hoping to find an opening to get to Sarah. He tried to give her cover fire by triangulating the shooting coming from above. Even though they were on higher ground, it appeared he was having some success in confusing them.

**Scene 121. February 3, 2013  
****7:48 pm (Cairo)  
****Inside the warehouse**

Sarah looked up at Victoria Ryker: the resemblance to her old handler, Kierran Ryker, was uncanny. Except there was something different: while his face had been cold and serious, even mean at times, her's was completely and totally evil. Her eyes were so dark as to be almost black, and there was a menace swirling through them, like nothing Sarah had ever seen before.

She was wearing fatigues now, unlike the expensive, tailored pantsuit she had been wearing at the ship. There was a bandage on the right side of her head and her left arm was in a sling. Apparently she had been caught in the explosions onboard the freighter, but, unfortunately, not enough to incapacitate, or kill, her. In addition to her other injuries, she was favoring her left leg: _Have to exploit her injuries,_ flashed through Sarah's brain.

The woman stepped forward and punched Sarah in the face. Chuck had slowly gotten to his feet and reach out to grab the woman, but someone hit him from behind with a rifle butt, and he slammed to the floor once again.

"Chuck!" Sarah screamed his name through her own pain, and knelt to cover his body with her own. A kick connected with her ribs and she fell sideways, while still trying to protect Chuck.

"So this is the big, bad Sarah Walker? Not so tough looking to me." Rough hands grabbed Sarah's hair and pulled her to her feet. The shrieking voice continued, "You are going to wish my brother had killed you last year, you bitch! I'm going to carve up that pretty face and body, long before I kill you!"

Chuck got up on his knees again, but the room was spinning around dizzily. He could hear the abuse, both physical and verbal, that Sarah was taking, and wanted to protect her. Despite the intense headache he tried to flash, but nothing would come. It could have been the searing light that had fried his brain momentarily, or the rifle butt to the head, or the sheer emotional trauma he was feeling from their capture and the beating Sarah was taking, but the Intersect was just not working now. Whatever it was, he couldn't help her, and that was more punishment than any of these meatheads could ever give him.

"Throw him in the truck; bring her over to the bomb." Ryker turned and limped away, towards the center of the room. Chuck felt himself being lifted by his arms and feet. He was carried a short distance and then unceremoniously thrown into the rear of the truck, crashing his head into the solid bench along the side of the truck bed, causing more stars, and pain to flash through his brain.

Sarah was unceremoniously drug across the floor by her hair and an arm. When they stopped, she was roughly thrown onto a table and lashed to the table with heavy bands. They were just starting to strap her feet down when gunfire interrupted and they ran off, leaving her feet and legs free. She had several lock picks and her knives but she didn't know if she could get to them now.

She opened her eyes and looked around. Ryker was standing over her, leering at her with both desire and malice; Sarah had never seen those two emotions combined quite like this. She looked over to her right and saw that the nuke was prepped and ready to have the timer activated. _How can I trigger the bomb so it will destroy this evil woman? No, I can't cause a holocaust. Have to let my friends escape, so they can save Chuck. No matter what happens to me, I have to know that Chuck is safe._

Sarah had undergone torture over the years and knew she was still well within her tolerance level. But she also knew what the Ryker woman was capable of, and it frightened her ... a truly unfamiliar feeling. She had never felt out and out fear on a mission until she became Chuck's handler and lost herself in his ever present goodness. Even then, it was never fear for herself, but rather for him … the man that completely turned her world upside down ... the man that taught her about love. Every time he had come under threat, she had felt her stomach knot and her brain short circuit.

This fright had hit her during those early years together, as she realized her feelings for him, but didn't know what to do about them. It was an entirely different type of fear; a fear that actually led to the wonderful pleasure of coming together, in love, with Chuck. Now that she had so much to live for, the fear of dying at the hands of this madwoman, was much more painful than the pain coursing through her body.

She heard the small explosions and doors opening, knowing it was the other two teams coming in. But they were expecting Chuck and her to be giving support from above; it was going to be a bloodbath. _Damn! What have I done, exposing my friends to this massacre?_ Ryker assaulted her again, while the sounds of gunfire come from all directions. But she could tell that no fire was coming their direction, and figured she would be safe from being shot ... for now. But what about her friends? From the sounds of it, they were greatly outnumbered. _Of course, that's never stopped Casey; that's just incentive for him to barge right in._ She actually smiled slightly at that thought.

"What are you smiling at, bitch?" Ryker screamed at her once again, and backhanded her across the face. Sarah was glad she was just using her right hand instead of a weapon; Chuck had told them, from his flash, that her preferred weapon was a long, sharp knife.

"Just do what you've got to do, Ryker, because you're dead now! My friends won't let you out of here alive." She had been surprised when they hadn't secured her legs and as Ryker moved down the table, Sarah lashed out with a vicious kick, right on the bandage on her adversary's head. Even though it hurt her ribs and abdomen to move like that, the blow to the other woman's head felt really good.

Sarah heard the booming of Casey's grenade launcher and shook her head … _he will never learn to be subtle … thank goodness!_ Looking up at Ryker, she shot a look of menace at her, and could tell the blow to the head had stunned her. The look of anger on Ryker's face was beginning to be mixed with one of concern.

Ryker looked around the warehouse, assessing the situation. She moved back to the table, leaned over so her head was close to Sarah's, and ran her tongue along her cheek to her ear. Sarah gagged in revulsion and turned her head away as Ryker hissed, "Well, Walker, I guess we aren't going to get to finish this the way I wanted. Tell you what: I'll take really good care of your boy toy over there. I'll be sure to remind him that he let you die here today, as I take him over and over again. He's mine, now," she said, laughing maniacally. "And then, while I'm cutting him up into dog food, I'll have lots of pictures of you for him to see! Enjoy your last few minutes … maybe you should think about my brother: you'll be meeting up with him again, very, very soon." And with another menacing laugh, Ryker punched Sarah one last time before turning and hobbling, as fast as possible, over to the truck.

Both Casey and Verbanski saw Ryker heading for the truck but neither could get a clear shot without risking hitting either Sarah, or shooting into the rear of the truck, where they had seen Chuck thrown. Neither option was good and they could only hope that one of Blue Team could stop the truck.

The bright spotlights were still a distraction, but because they were pointed upward, neither Casey nor Verbanski had them directly in their eyesight. In fact, they were serving to make it more difficult for the Somali's to see them. As long as they stayed in the shadows, behind the lights' mountings, it was almost impossible to be caught directly in the terrorists' sights. Using this advantage, in addition to the crossfire from Blue Team, they began picking off the mercenaries one by one. This infuriated the others' even more, causing their fire to became more and more erratic.

Marconi had a shot at Ryker, but the pain, and loss of blood, was taking its toll. She missed, her shots clanging off the side of the truck, as Ryker ducked behind the far side of the truck. She did, however, hit the bungie cord holding a toolbox on a shelf, attached to the rear of the truck's cab. When Ryker gunned the truck out the garage door, the inertia caused the cord to snap and the box to fall; the sharp, steel corner of the box made a direct hit on the right fuel tank, puncturing it, causing fuel to spewed out. Marconi fell back against the wall, cursing her lousy shooting, as the truck smashed through the door and turned left.

"Chuuuuuuuuuuck!" Sarah's eyes met Chuck's as the truck rolled through the door. Her scream cut through all the gunfire as she watched, through tears, the truck leaving the warehouse. _Have to get loose … have to run … have to save Chuck._ In a panic, she jerked at the heavy straps, causing pain to shoot from her abdomen up to her neck, but they wouldn't budge.

She looked over at the bomb: _Oh, crap!_ The damned thing was armed and counting down to detonation. _Ryker hit the button at some point, damn her! We've got less than ten minutes … just enough time for her to escape. _ These thoughts finally sobered her enough to bring her back to ninja, spy girl Sarah. Using her flexibility, she maneuvered her left foot up until she could pull out one of the knives strapped to her leg, just above her ankle.

A final grenade explosion caused the catwalk on the east wall to collapse, followed by another crescendo in gunfire. But this fusillade was short lived, and suddenly, an eerie silence came over the warehouse. As Sarah worked to cut through the vinyl, she realized it was now silent in the room, except for the constant ticking coming from the bomb timer.

Casey moved out cautiously, but Verbanski broke into a run towards Sarah. She reached her just as she reached over and pulled the top strap off her chest. Rolling off the table, she would have collapsed to the floor, but someone caught her. _Gertrude!_ Sarah recovered quickly and turned to run towards the door, but Verbanski held onto her by the arm and spun her around. Knowing Sarah would be in attack mode, she ducked the expected punch, then pinned the younger woman's arms to her side: "Sarah, Sarah. Stop! It's me, Verbanski. You're safe."

"Let me go, let me go!" Sarah screamed at her, violently trying to jerk away. "I've got to go save Chuck!"

"No, you can't catch the truck on foot. We have to stop the bomb first."

As Casey moved towards the center of the room he saw McDonagall standing over Marconi along the opposite wall. She appeared wounded but was moving, so he turned his attention back to his old friend. "Walker, calm down." He reached out and gently gripped her upper arm: "How do we disarm the bomb?"

"How do I know, Casey? We need the Intersect for that." Sarah was crying now, jerking her head back and forth, looking first at her friends and then out the door where the love of her life had disappeared. Then she added, in a little girl voice, "And he's gone…." Her voice trailed off to nothing and she slid to the floor.

_A/N2: So sorry for yet another cliffhanger. I had tried to avoid them for the most part in S6E2, but just couldn't resist as we run headlong into the end of this episode (S6E3). The good news is: this is the last cliffhanger (unless I have a complete senior moment and rewrite the entire ending (yet again!)). Two more chapters..._


	29. Clean Up

A/N: It's been a long ride and I thank all you who are still with me. All you comments have been an inspiration, so thanks for that, too.

Don't own Chuck, nbc, Warner Bros., or any of the other people and places that we have visited in this tale. Those of you who do: please understand the joy you have given us and allow us to continue to explore this universe.

**XXIX. Clean Up**

**Scene ****122. February 3, 2013  
****8:01 pm (Cairo)  
****Inside the warehouse**

As the gun battle raged, Chuck had been trying to clear his head. He tried one of Devon's meditations but it didn't help at all. He had never suffered a headache as severe as the one now overwhelming him. _Please, oh please, Casey … save Sarah! Tell her I love her!_ It was the thought of Sarah that finally calmed him. He focused on her beautiful face, her eyes, bluer and deeper than the ocean, her smile that melted him into goo every time she unleashed it, the feel of her luscious body against his, the kisses that sent him into ecstasy. A smile actually came to his lips and he could feel his body relaxing as this vision of loveliness consumed his every thought.

Then he heard gunfire, seemingly at a far distant. As he continued to calm, the firing seemed to come closer and closer. Another stab of pain shot through his head as he remembered where he was. Crawling to the rear of the truck, he pulled the canvas flap up. He saw Ryker reach over to the bomb and press a button. The evil smile that came onto her face struck Chuck in the gut: she had just armed the nuke.

She moved over to Sarah, grabbed her legs, and spoke to her, all with an evil grin on her face. Moving back, she punched Sarah in the gut, and then headed for the truck. As she hobbled over, Chuck leaned back, out of sight, as bullets pinged off the side of the truck, and then he heard the engine start. Looking out the back again, his eyes met Sarah's and he screamed, "Saaaaraaaahhhhhhhh!" The year old sight of the bullet train separating, his Sarah being taken away from him, fired through his mind and tears formed in his eyes. Only this time, he was the one being pulled away.

The truck turned left, throwing Chuck against the side. But it wasn't moving very fast yet so he was able to pull himself back up and over the tailgate. It was accelerating now and he knew he had to get off before it gained much more speed. _This is really going to hurt,_ was his last thought before lowering his legs until they touched the pavement and then let go. He tumbled over and over, grunting and groaning as the hard concrete ripped his clothing and burned into his skin.

Finally he stopped rolling and took stock: he could feel the warmth of blood trickling down the side of his head, his left shoulder hurt, and his left leg felt worse than it had since getting out of therapy, all those months ago. But he was intact, with nothing broken. He tried to stand but his left leg just wouldn't allow it. _I've got to get back to the warehouse; must disarm that bomb. _

He hadn't lain there very long when there was an explosion to the north, along the road the truck had taken. Chuck drug himself to the edge of the road and sat up, checking his various abrasions. He heard footsteps running toward him, but there was no place to hide so he just waited to see who was coming.

"Agent Carmichael! Hey, man, it's Jason Bright. You okay?"

Chuck tried to look up and smile but he was just too tired and beat up. As the agent knelt to check on him, he took a deep breath and said, through clenched teeth, "Nice to see you Bright. Get me back to the warehouse."

"But, sir, the bomb is going to detonate. We have to get you away; General Beckman's orders."

"Bright, as much as I appreciate that, we couldn't possible get far enough away now. So the only thing we can do is go back. I need to save Sarah." After a pause, as Agent Bright looked at him with a quizzical face, Chuck added, "And everyone else in there, too, of course."

**Scene 123. February 3, 2013  
****8:08 pm (Cairo)  
****Inside the warehouse**

Gertrude moved over to Marconi and McDonagall. Angela was still sitting with her back to the wall, in obvious pain, but fully conscious. "Agents, is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, I think we're okay now. I've called in a request for backup so we should be getting some help any time now."

Looking over her shoulder at Casey and Sarah, who were working on the bomb, she commented, "It may be a moot point soon."

The agents exchanged looks of concern and then Angela spoke for the first time, "Ms. Verbanski, I called Agent Bright about the truck departing. Has he called back or shown up?"

"No, Marconi, he hasn't. Let's hope he was able to save Chu … Carmichael." Looking down, she continued, "Let's get you over into some better light so we can see how those ribs look. We can't do much for you right now, but at least we'll know what to tell the EMT's when they arrive."

Gertrude patted McDonagall on the shoulder who knelt down and easily lifted her in his arms. He carried her over to the light sitting in the middle of the floor, near the bomb. Gertrude brought over a wooden crate for her to sit on and then pulled her blouse up to look at the wound. "Well, the bullet is still lodged in there and you probably have a broken rib, but it could be a lot worse." She tore a patch from the bottom of Marconi's blouse and pressed it against the wound, eliciting a hissing intake of air from the agent. "Hold that in place to get the bleeding stopped."

"Hey! Hey, inside. We need some help out here!" A voice from outside was calling into the warehouse. "Agent Walker, are you in there?"

At the mention of her name, Sarah's head snapped up and over towards the door. Casey lifted her up and gave her a small shove, "Go, Walker, go see if it's Chuck."

She was in a dead run within two steps; Agent McDonagall followed but at a discreet distance, in case it was an ambush. But Sarah just didn't care. Her heart had leapt into her throat and she just prayed it was Chuck. As she sped out into the street she saw two men, one obviously injured, and being supported by the other. Even in the poor light she knew the injured man was her husband, the man she intended to spend the rest of her life with, although with a ticking time bomb inside, that might be only a matter of minutes now. _If this is really the end, at least I will be in his arms at the end!_

Quickly, Sarah moved to the men and got in under Chuck's other arm to help support him. Her voice didn't want to work, but finally, "Chuck," came out, but only as a whisper. Together, she and Agent Bright, were able to move more quickly, and entered the warehouse. McDonagall now moved out from his hiding place and grabbed another box for Chuck to sit on.

They moved to where Angela was sitting and started to put Chuck down, but he waved them off. "No, no, no, no. I've got to disarm that bomb. Help me over there. Come on people, we don't want to die here."

Casey moved aside as Chuck and Sarah came up and began looking over the mechanism. The clock hit 01:00 and kept on ticking. Chuck pulled off a plastic covering from the nose of the bomb housing and looked inside. He flashed instantly and the schematics popped up in his head.

"I need a flashlight here." Casey pulled his out and handed it to Sarah, who shined it inside the housing where Chuck was looking. Now he could see the whirling gyro and the contact points. As the gyro continued to spin the points were coming closer and closer. He had to stop all this movement in order to safely cut the power wires. "Screwdriver … anyone have a screwdriver?"

It was Verbanski's turn to contribute: she didn't have a screwdriver but she did have an icepick. Casey stared at the weapon and then grunted. "What? It's just as deadly as a knife, and it fits in my fatigues better." She handed the icepick to Chuck, and he inserted it into a slot at the front end of the gyro. It made contact with the spinning wheel and began to emit a grinding noise. The further he pushed it in, the louder the grinding became until there was snap. Chuck smiled as the grinding stopped and everyone stared at him to see what he would do next.

"Sarah, now I could use one of your ever famous knives." Smiling back at him, she reached, this time, into her fatigue top, just below her left shoulder, and pulled out another vicious looking knife, the blade snapping open before she handed it to Chuck. A couple of wow's came from McDonagall when he saw the deadly beauty of the weapon, not to mention where she had been carrying it. Chuck took it and carefully threaded it through several wires. With a tug, the complete set of green wires all severed and … they all looked from him to the clock and back again … and they all saw that the clock had stopped … at 0:07 ... of course!

**Scene 124. February 3, 2013  
****8:25 pm (Cairo)  
****Inside the warehouse**

The four friends stood there, staring at each other. Each knew they had yet again dodged a very big bullet, and the feeling was just a bit overwhelming.

"Ungh. Nice job, moron." So it was Casey who made the joke that finally broke the tension. They all laughed and then the four of them were in a giant, group hug. Casey looked a bit uncomfortable at first but then pulled the two women close to him and Chuck wrapped his long arms around all four.

Marconi, McDonagall, and Bright just looked on, mostly in amazement. When McDonagall started to say something Angela waved him off, indicating she would fill them in later.

They were still embracing when two vehicles raced up outside. Eight men, all carrying automatic weapons, moved inside quickly, and were met by Agent Bright. Four of the men quickly began securing the building, checking the bodies strewn around the warehouse, to see if any were still alive. The other four came over to the others; two took up guard at the bomb, while the other two began to work on Marconi's wounds.

As the long embrace ended, Chuck started to lose his balance and Sarah grabbed him; she helped him move over to the other box. When he was seated, she squatted in front of him and grabbed his face. Looking deeply into his eyes she practically growled at him, "You. Will. Never. Ever. Do. That. Again. Do you hear me, mister?" And then she pulled him closer, crashing her lips into his. If the other agents had been surprised at their four person hug, they were completely bowled over by this PDA.

The kiss deepened further until finally Casey grunted once again, "Geez. Get a room, will ya? Can't be together for five minutes without doing that."

As he turned away from them he was met by Gertrude Verbanski, and he soon found himself in exactly the same position as Chuck. It took him a moment, but then he relaxed and pulled her tightly against him. It had really been a long time for these two!

Bright was standing near the bomb and his mouth was just hanging open. He knew he had picked up a vibe between Walker and Carmichael, but had no clue about Casey and Verbanski. _Will this day get any weirder? _And he just continued to stare in amazement.

Chuck and Sarah had broken their kiss but continue to embrace. Chuck pulled back slightly when a thought, other than how he wanted to get this beautiful woman alone, invaded his consciousness: "Hey, I hate to break up this love fest, but we need to call Beckman and Morgan. Casey, you have your satellite phone on you?"

Casey broke their kiss and had to take a moment to catch his breath. With a breathy quality to his voice he responded, "Ye-yeah. I'll contact Grimes; he can set up a conference call. Just give me a sec."

He pulled away from Gertrude and brought out the phone. It took several minutes to get all the protocols taken care of, and then they could all hear Morgan's voice as Casey pulled it away from his ear with a grimace. "Grimes! Hey, moron! Shut up a minute. Listen. To. Me!" Casey paused for a moment and when the noise on the phone had stilled, he continued, "Listen up: we are fine here and have captured the nuke. Set up a conference call with Beckman and call us back." He didn't even wait for a reply but hung up immediately. He knew it was the only way to get Grimes to shut up and make the other call.

The medic finished with Angela and moved over to Chuck. While he worked on his various bruises and abrasions, Sarah moved over to Angela and embraced her. "I am so sorry you've been injured, Angela. I really thought you had the safest approach."

"Sarah, it's okay. Can't get into this life and not expect a few gunshot wounds and mishaps." Her eyes brightened as she smiled and said, "It's my first battle scar!" The two girls laughed lightly and then she continued, "I'm just glad you two are okay looks like you and Chuck took the brunt of her wrath."

"We girls have to look after each other, too, you know." They looked at each other once again and smiled, knowing they had found kindred spirits in one another.

She did not want to get any further away from Chuck than absolutely necessary, so she began hovering over him while the medics tried to work. The second medic had given her a cold pack and she held it to her now swollen and discolored cheekbone. Ryker had hit pretty hard, but she used to get more bruises from a hard workout with Casey, although he had always avoided her face.

As they worked on his various abrasions from his encounter with the pavement, Chuck called out, "Agent Bright, did anyone call you about the truck that left here? The woman in charge of this operation was driving. We need to find a way track her."

A big smile popped up on Jason Bright's face, "Oh, yeah. Actually, we just need to drive back to our truck to pick her up." He continued to smile as everyone was suddenly staring at him. "Well, when Ang … er, Agent Marconi … called me, I started driving back here. I saw the truck coming and we played a little game of chicken with her ending up in the ditch, and the truck on fire. She tried to run but I grabbed a rope and lassoed her. Then I pulled her down and calf-roped her, just before her truck exploded." Mouths had dropped open around the room at this no-nonsense, matter-of-fact, description of his capture of Victoria Ryker.

"Lassoed? Calf-roped? As in rodeo … cowboys … big bulls and crazy clowns?"

"Yeah. I'm from Wyoming and rode the circuit for a few years in my teens and early twenties. I was National Calf-Roping Champion back in '08."

"Ungh!" It was Casey's _wow, that's really cool_ grunt and he slapped Bright on the back. "Let's go get your little calf." They walked out, jumped in one of the cars, and took off in a cloud of dust.

They returned in about ten minutes, followed a very dirty, disheveled, and extremely angry, Victoria Ryker. Her hands were tied behind her back and Casey held the end of a rope, like a leash, that was also tied to her hands. The men had wrapped several layers of duct tape around her head and over her mouth. She could walk, but just barely, her limp even more pronounced than before.

Sarah walked over to her, and stood in front of her, hands on her hips. Rage poured out of Ryker's intensely dark eyes and she was ranting and raving, despite the tape keeping anything coherent from coming out of her mouth. Sarah was having a difficult time not going completely ninja crazy all over her, but the professional in her, not to mention the newly remembered Bartowski compassion, kept her reined in. Instead, she smiled, "Geez, Casey, put enough duct tape on her?"

"Had to. She chewed through the first piece. This is one crazy bi…."

"I get it, I get it. So, Miss Ryker, I know you can't talk, but we thought you would be pleased to know we have captured all your nukes and destroyed most of the other weapons. Sorry to spoil your little party." Turning on her heel, Sarah walked away.

Ryker started to leap at her but Casey yanked her back with the leash and shoved her to the floor. "Stay!"

**Scene 125. February 3, 2013  
****10:34 am (LA)  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

Morgan and Alex were on pins and needles. They had not heard anything in two hours and the suspense was making them both crazy. They hadn't expected to hear anything for quite awhile, but this was excruciating. They still had Chuck and Sarah's trackers and could see they were at, or in, the warehouse, but whether they were still working their way in, were in the middle of a battle, had taken over the building, or were being held captive themselves, they had no way of knowing.

General Beckman had called twice to inquire about the progress and was obviously aggravated with the lack of news. The last time she called, Alex suggested she try to get some rest. Despite the look of anger on her face, which had taken on a permanent set during the course of the past month, she soften her look just a bit and thanked Alex for her concern.

When the satellite phone signal sounded they both jumped in surprise. When she heard her dad's voice on the phone, Alex pumped her fist in the air and did a pirouette before letting a big "Yessssssss" come out of her mouth.

Morgan was beside himself and immediately began peppering Casey with questions, and running on and on about everything and nothing at all. Finally Casey had had enough and growled through the phone, "Grimes! Hey, moron! Shut up a minute. Listen. To. Me!" Alex grabbed Morgan in a bear hug and whispered a quiet "Shhhhhh" into his ear. Once it was quiet, Casey assured them they were okay and the nuke secured. He then asked them to set up a conference call with Beckman.

"Dad! When will you…." But he had already hung up.

Alex looked dejected, but Morgan kissed her cheek and reassured her that this was just Casey's way. "He knows, if he didn't hang up, we'd pester him to death with questions, and then we wouldn't be getting the call to Beckman setup. So we'd better get busy."

They placed the call to the General but her assistant answered. The General was asleep, she informed them, and did not want to wake her. But when they told her the news from Boosaaso, she relented and moved off camera. They heard some soft conversation and then the assistant came back in view. "The General needs five minutes, please. Let's go ahead and get the conference call set up. She should be ready before all the security protocols are approved.

Morgan got busy, on _CI's_ end, to connect the call to Casey's phone. It had been exactly four minutes thirty-two seconds when the General sat down at her desk and looked at Morgan in her monitor. "Are we set Mr. Grimes?" She looked very, very tired, but Alex could detect a bit of relief in her eyes.

"All set, General. Casey are you there?"

"We are all here. Chuck even found some old computer equipment so we can go visual, although it will be a less than ideal connection. Chuck, hit it."

Suddenly a picture came on Morgan's screen and he was looking at his oldest friend, Chuck Bartowski. Alex gasped when she saw him because, even through the very grainy picture, he really looked tired and beaten up. "Buddy, what've you been doing over there? You like you've been run over by a truck."

"You have no idea, dude, you have no idea. I'll fill you in when we get home."

Morgan had been punching buttons and working his trackball while they talked. The monitor blinked twice and the picture split twice. General Beckman was in the upper lefthand corner, Chuck in the upper righthand corner and he could see himself in the bottom center. "General, Chuck, I've done a three way split of the screen. Do you each have the split as well?"

"Excellent, Mr. Grimes" and "Way to go, Morgan" came at the same time, from the two upper splits.

"Congratulations to one and all. Mr. Grimes informs me that you have secured the final weapon, as well as capturing Ms. Ryker. From the looks of Mr. Bartowski, it appears you are a little worse for wear."

"We're okay, General. Sarah and I ran into a bit of a meat grinder and Agent Marconi has been shot. However, it appears to be a minor wound, and she is still here with us. Otherwise, there are no casualties on our side."

"All good news. Now, we need to determine how to get all of you, as well as the weapon, out of country. It's going to have to be driven out. Any thoughts on your end?"

Casey stepped up to the camera, "General, we concur about driving the nuke out. Verbanski and I can take that on. We thought Djibouti would be the best destination, if you can arrange transport from there. However, we think Chuck, Sarah and Agent Marconi need to be evacuated sooner, due to their wounds."

Sarah started to protest but Gertrude took her arm and held her back. When Sarah looked at her she just shook her head and put her finger to her lips.

"I would feel better if you had more backup on your drive, Casey. Would you object to Agents McDonagall and Bright accompanying you?"

Casey looked at Gertrude who nodded her head and mouthed, _good idea_. He then looked at the two agents and they both gave a thumbs up signal. He turned back to the camera, "Excellent idea, General. We appreciate the help."

"Mr. Casey: ask the agents if their safe house can accommodate all of you for a few hours, while we set this all up."

McDonagall spoke up: "It will be a bit crowded, but at least everyone can get cleaned up and fed."

"Alright everyone, I will get the logistics set up and call back. I'm not sure how long it will take so keep someone awake for the call. Mr. Grimes, a word in private, if you please. Again everyone, my thanks, and the country's thanks, for a job well done."

Morgan broke the connection to Boosaaso but kept the General on the screen, "Yes, ma'am. What can we do for you now?"

"Mr. Grimes, Ms. McHugh, I can not tell you just how invaluable you have been to this entire operation. I have to ask you to remain on station for a few more hours while we set up the extraction. Once we have everyone in motion, you may stand down. You should insist that _Carmichael Industries_ spring for a very long, very expensive vacation. And tell them I will split the bill. I will be in touch."

Once she was off the screen, Morgan turned, picked up Alex, and swung her around in a big circle. They were both laughing and crying with joy, knowing their friends and family were finally all safe. As he let her feet come back down to the floor their eyes met, and soon their lips connected.

A/N2: Two more chapters to come, in order to get our dear friends home again. Hope you don't mind a calm, relaxing Charah ending.


	30. Heading Home

A/N: And so we have rescued all our friends, the antagonists have all been arrested, and the weapons are destroyed or captured. Now we just need to get everyone home. I have divided the journey home into two chapters, just because. If you are reading this for the action and adventure, I'm sorry, but it's all over. If you are here because of the Charah, Canski, and Morgalex, stay tuned. Thanks to all of you who have read this tale and for all the wonderful, and challenging, comments. It's been great conversing with all of you.

Disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer...

**XXX. Heading Home**

**Scene 126. February 4, 2013  
****12:00 am (Cairo)  
****Boosaaso Safe House**

The team arrived at the safe house at midnight. The women were given first crack at the bathrooms while the men jumped in the kitchen and began cooking up just about everything in sight. They went ahead and ate, but saved plenty for the girls. Once the bathrooms were clear they all switched places. It was after 0200 before any managed to hit the beds.

There were only two bedrooms and Casey insisted that Chuck and Sarah take one. "The rest of us will never get any rest if those two are separated." Then, also at Casey's urging, Verbanski and Marconi were given the other bedroom to share; that way Gertrude could keep an eye on Angela's injuries. The men then bedded down on a sofa, chair or floor. None really cared, as long as they could sleep, uninterrupted, for as long as they wanted.

The cleanup crew had taken custody of Ryker, moving her to a safe house with a detention cell. Sarah warned them of her skills and vicious nature and they assured her she would be detained, with all due caution, until transport back to the States for interrogation. There was a lengthy discussion as to what to do with the weapon, but Casey was adamant that he remain within shooting distance of it, so they decided to take it with them to the safe house. Two of the cleanup crew would go with them as additional security.

The General finally called them at 1330 hours. As it turned out, she was able to arrange air transportation out of Bender Qassim International Airport, right there in Boosaaso, for the next day. This was going to expedite their travels, which pleased everyone. There was a certain element of danger, taking the weapon into the heart of a major airport, but they were confident no one would know what they were transporting. The flight would depart at 1100 hours the next day, so they would need to be at the airport by 0930.

Beckman thanked everyone for all their work and welcomed Casey and Verbanski back. Verbanski just smiled, "Wait until you get the bill." Everyone laughed at that, including the General, although she was less exuberant than the rest of the team. She also told Agent Marconi that, due to her injuries, she was to return home for followup medical treatment and some well deserved R&R.

When the briefing broke up, the discussion quickly settled on food. They decided to send Agents McDonagall and Bright out for some local cuisine. No sense in being here and not sample something local. The agents told them it would take a couple of hours so everyone would have a chance to rest and relax once again.

Everyone just milled around, sort of staking out their own space, and Sarah joined Angela on one of the sofas. She could tell her friend was in pain, and wanted to help take her mind off it; they owed a lot to this young agent. She sat next to her, with a hand resting gently on Angela's left shoulder, away from her wounds. "So, how do you feel today? I always seem to have more pain and stiffness on the day after."

"Yeah, that's about what I'm feeling here. I checked the wounds and they seem to be on the mend, but I'll need your help to change the dressing, if you don't mind. Still a lot of discomfort in the ribs. Probably have to have an x-ray to find out for sure if anything is broken."

"Well, just take it easy, take your meds, and let us take care of you." She smiled and could see the appreciation in her friend's eyes. "I'm glad to hear they are letting you go home. I've been in the field on some missions and they just said 'Suck it up, Walker.'" Dropping her voice to imitate a man made them both smile, knowing how the men often disrespected female agents.

Angela continued, "And what about you? You've taken a lot of abuse the past few days.."

"Yeah, I'm going to be pretty sore for awhile. But I've had worse." _And I hope you never have to experience what I've gone through. _Sarah grimaced while that final thought flashed through her mind, and Angela could see there was more that her friend was not saying.

As they continued to talk, Chuck came over, limping ever so slightly, pulling a chair along, and placed it to Sarah's left, facing Angela. As Angela had seen before, the instant he sat, their hands … her left and his right … sought each other out, fingers entwining. She also noticed how he then reached over with this left hand and gently massaged her left ring finger, seeking to replace what was still missing there. "Hey, what are you two secret agents cooking up over here? Tired of the simple life already?"

They all laughed and Chuck and Sarah's eyes met, seeking the joy and comfort that was always present between the two of them. "Yeah, Chuck. We think we need to go out on another mission. There's got to some despot around here that needs his butt kicked."

_How things have changed: Sarah Walker making a joke. I guess that's because she isn't Sarah Walker anymore. Now she is Sarah Bartowski, wife and lover first._ Chuck's thoughts were running away with him and Sarah leaned over, bumping his shoulder with hers, just as she had on that morning on the beach, long, long ago. "Sorry, got lost there for a moment."

Sarah looked back at Angela, who was lost in her own thoughts, mostly about the love of these two. "So, Angela, once you get the medical treatment, you should go home and visit your family. Then, depending on how much time Beckman gives you, Chuck and I would like for you to visit us in Burbank. In fact, we would like you to think about coming to work for us at _Carmichael Industries_."

"Wh-wh-what? Did you just offer me a job? I … I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything right now. We know it's sudden and you have a lot of recovering to do first. Take your time to think about it. We know you have just gone into the field with the CIA and if you think you want … or need … to stay with that, we understand. So … enjoy your down time … and especially your family. Then, if nothing else, come out for a short vacation with us. We'll show you all the sights."

"Thank you, both. This is a bit overwhelming." A smile had burst upon Angela's face and it made her two new friends smile right back. And, she noticed, they were still holding hands, now with Sarah caressing their ring fingers, too.

Chuck pulled Sarah to her feet and they faced each other, his hands resting on her waist, her's on his shoulders. "Now, Mrs. Bartowski, we need to talk about our itinerary."

"Oh we do, do we, Mr. Walker? Then let's go back to our room and discuss 'our itinerary'."

As the door closed behind them Sarah wrapped herself around Chuck and used her index finger to trace down his cheek and along his jawline. He closed his eyes and hummed softly. He was startled when she brought her lips up to kiss the other cheek and then moved around to capture his lips.

He was quickly losing himself in the softness of those lips. In the far, distant reaches of his brain there was something he wanted to talk to his lovely wife about, but he could no longer remember what. He could never resist the seductive charms of this incredibly beautiful woman, and right now, right here, was going to be no exception.

She stepped away and he almost lost his balance as his lips tried to stay in contact with hers. She was able to push him back upright by bringing their hands together, fingers entwining. The world ceased to exist for both of them as they stood there, just staring into each other's eyes. The dark, chocolate brown eyes of this handsome man mesmerized Sarah; the large, azure orbs of this beautiful woman took Chuck's breath away, just as they did every time he looked into them.

Finally, Sarah pulled her hands away and took a step back. A look of dismay crossed Chuck's face until he saw the shy, yet mischievous, look he so loved, on her face. She began to slowly unbutton her blouse, "Now ... husband ... if we are through … uh … debriefing, I have something else I think we need to work on."

Chuck's mouth worked open and closed as his eyes travel up and down her incredible body. He realized he was not going to be able to get any words to form so he just reached out and pulled her to him. One hand slid inside her now completely open blouse and the other took her cheek, as he brought his lips onto the lush, full lips of his incredible Sarah. As they melted into one another, her hands slid down his back, over his belt and into the back pockets of his jeans.

They were lying together, with a sheet pulled up to their waists. Chuck's bum knee had not hindered them as they had made love slowly, thoroughly enjoying the physical expression of their all encompassing love. Now they were simply enjoying the quiet afterglow. Sarah was on her stomach, head propped on her arms, facing Chuck. She smiled sweetly as tingles raced up and down her body. Chuck was facing her, propped up on one elbow and running his fingernails lightly up and down her still naked back. He loved the feel of her silken smooth skin and knew exactly what he was doing to make her smile.

He leaned over and placed a kiss on her shoulder, near where her chin rested, as his hand traveled under the sheet. He felt her shiver as she turned enough to engage his lips with hers.

A low moan was coming from deep inside her chest as their tongues began their all familiar dance. It was Sarah's turn, to send chills through her incredible husband as she played with the hair on his chest. Suddenly, they were both startled with a loud banging on their door. "Hey you two! I know I said 'get a room' but come on, give us a break." After a short pause Casey continued: "Food's here."

Chuck rolled onto his back, laughing, pulling Sarah along with him so she ended up laying on his chest, her left hand grabbing a handful of his hair. "What do you think, honey, should we get up and join them?"

**Scene 127. February 5, 2013  
****6:30 pm (Madrid)  
****Flying to Madrid**

The flight took off from Bender Qassim International Airport exactly on time. Before departure they had said goodbye to Agents McDonagall and Bright. There were handshakes and thank you's all around, and even Casey gave each of them a solid cuff on their shoulders before turning away. Both men wished them all well, especially Angela; both were obviously smitten by this strong, young woman.

The flight was uneventful, but long. The team didn't mind, however, as they used the time to continue catching up on their sleep. There weren't quite all the amenities Chuck and Sarah had enjoyed on their trip to Africa, but there was plenty of food and drink, and the seats were all first class in size, style, and comfort.

The worst part was still not having a fresh set of clothing to change into: their mission clothes were starting to get pretty ripe. Despite that, neither Chuck and Sarah, nor Casey and Verbanski, strayed too far from each other.

Angela was experiencing quite a bit of pain, and stayed near the front of the plane, where a section of seats formed a sofa-like configuration along the left side windows. Lying on her left side, across these seats, was about the only comfortable position she could find.

At their request, General Beckman agreed to allow them to layover for the night in Madrid. She booked them at the _Axor Feria Hotel_, just ten minutes from Barajas Airport. Noticing their state of dress, she also informed them that an account would be set up for them in an upscale clothing store next door to the hotel. At this news the three women all smiled, and the two men grimaced. Despite their lack of enthusiasm, even the men were ready for a change out of their mission fatigues. None of them questioned as to how Beckman knew about this store.

A car was waiting for them and whisked them straight to the store. The customer service associates were not thrilled when they saw the five, rather disheveled, people walk in, wondering what they could possible want in their store. But when Sarah explained (in perfect Spanish, of course) who they were, they immediately put on their best smiles and attitudes.

The men were done in about fifteen minutes, of course, but the women were far from ready to leave. Rather than sit around, waiting for them, Chuck and Casey walked back to the hotel; they figured they would get everyone checked in, and be in the rooms by the time the ladies returned. Casey had been in Africa for a month, Chuck for a week, and neither was prepared for the outside temperature. They both shivered from the much cooler air than they were used to, and quickly picked up the pace.

When they arrived at the hotel, they discovered their driver had already checked them in, and had their luggage delivered to the rooms. An assistant manager was waiting for them in the beautiful atrium lobby, and personally escorted them to their suite on the sixth floor. They would be staying in their very best, the manager informed them: a suite that would accommodate all five. He also told them that a meal was being prepared, and would be served, in their room, once the ladies returned from shopping. Beckman was nothing if not thorough.

They checked out the modern living quarters and found them to be quite nice. There were four bedrooms, each with its own huge closet and bathroom, a kitchenette, a room to watch television or work, and a large living area with two leather sofas, three overstuffed leather chairs, two upholstered chairs, and a dining table with eight place settings and chairs. They walked out onto the terrace to admire the view. It wasn't as amazing as the view from the nineteenth floor suite in Cairo, but the city lights and stars made it quite stunning. Casey pulled out a cigar and lit up, "I hope there's some scotch in there. Then all will be right with the world."

"Why Casey, I think you could actual relax and enjoy all this."

"Ungh!"

Chuck just laughed, and then left him out there to enjoy his smoke; it was just too cold for him to stay out there too long. Besides, it was high time he took a shower and put on different clothes. The manager had indicated which bedroom belonged to whom, and he had wondered what difference it made. But when he walked into his and Sarah's room, he stopped in his tracks, his mouth dropping open. There, sitting on the floor next to the bed, was all the luggage they had left in Cairo. What really shocked him was that he hadn't even given it a single thought.

He took a moment to get his breathing under control and then ran back out to the terrace. Casey was standing there, smiling at him. "Casey, did you know…."

"Yeah, moron. Yesterday afternoon, while you and Walker were … ungh … talking, Agent Marconi realized all our personal gear was still at the safe house in Cairo. So she got on the horn and arranged for a diplomatic pouch to be expedited here. Got everything. Good agent."

"Yes, she is," Chuck answered softly as he turned to return to the bedroom. He had to find a couple of things before Sarah returned.

Once in the bedroom he grabbed the bags and threw them on the bed. Sarah had a special pouch in her bag to hide personal items, and he knew exactly where to find it. There he found what he was looking for, plus the picture of the two of them that she always carried. He had been really surprised when he first found out that she carried this picture, even back in their fake relationship days; it was quite a breech of protocol for a master spy.

As he was putting the picture away, he discovered another paper. Pulling it out and unfolding it, he once again had to take a big, cleansing breath. It was the drawing he had made on the bullet train, lying with her after making love, of the house with the red door, and the couple with a baby and a dog. He hadn't realized she carried this with her, too. His heart raced and he wished Sarah was there right now. He desperately wanted to put his arms around her and hold her tight, feeling her pressed against him, and holding him just as tightly. He was brought back from this reverie when he heard voices in the foyer. Quickly putting the picture back in the bag, he stood up, put the other items in his pocket, and walked out to greet the three ladies.

By the time they had all showered and changed clothes, the food had arrived and was set up for them on the dining table. Everyone was hungry and dug right in, putting an end to most of the conversation for a time.

She didn't feel much like eating but Angela knew she had to keep her strength up. She also felt like an interloper into the lives of the two couples. There was so much history between them and she was just a young agent on her first major assignment; and with her first wounds. "I hate to be a party-pooper, but I really need to get to bed. I'll take my meds and be out like a light. Do we know the itinerary for tomorrow?"

"The driver told me we have to leave here at 0830. I'll put in an order for breakfast at 0700. Any objections?" Looking to each person around the table, Casey received silent approval from each.

Sarah stood also, and escorted Angela to her room. "Sarah, you don't have to go with me. Stay, and enjoy your friends."

"Agent Marconi, as senior field agent, you are my responsibility. We need to clean the wounds and change your bandages." Sarah was using her CIA super spy voice and it surprised Angela, who looked at her quizzically. "Besides," now with a softer, more conspiratorial voice, "I want your intel on McDonagall and Bright; those weren't your average, run-of-the-mill, goodbyes at the airport."

Angela looked at her with wide eyes and smiled, "You don't miss a thing, Agent Walker!" After swallowing and taking a big breath, she continued, "Well, I really do like Jason … er, Agent Bright. But, then, we just met."

"Angela, I knew I had fallen for Chuck within 36 hours of meeting him."

"Really? I heard Chuck's abridged version of your story, so I think I need to hear your side; it's quite a story."

"You have no idea. Unfortunately, it's all above your pay grade, for now. So ... come on, girl … spill!"

Chuck was standing at the terrace windows, looking out towards the city, when Sarah joined him. He had turned off all the lights and lit a half dozen candles, smelling of lilac. The only other light came from outside. She put her hand on Chuck's shoulder and leaned in closely, "Seems we have the place to ourselves. Did Casey and Gertrude go to bed?"

"Hehehe … no, they decided to pay an impromptu visit to the Madrid offices of _Verbanski Corp_. Something about a girl she rescued and brought out of Somalia. I just think Gertrude is afraid that 'while the cat's away, the mice will play'."

"Oooooorrrr, they could be doing something completely different." Sarah's whisper was filled with humor and innuendo. They both chuckled softly.

As they were laughing, he guided her around to stand in front of him, with his arms enveloping her. She rested her hands on his and leaned back so they were touching almost head to toe. Their breathing synchronized and they each relaxed in the presence of the other. Sarah had been cold since walking to the hotel from the store, so it felt really good to be held by him. The warmth emanating from him felt so very good, and she couldn't wait to snuggle together, under the covers, in bed. _How could I have ever forgotten this wonderful feeling? _"This is quite an improvement over Barstow," she whispered.

"Uh huh," was all he could get out, tingles racing up and down his spine, thinking back to that morning, long ago.

Several minutes passed, as the two lovers continued to share their warmth, until Chuck pulled his right hand away and reached into his pocket. "I have something for you, sweetheart. Do you want it here ... or should I wait until we go back to our room?"

"Might as well be here, honey. This is very romantic."

"Once upon a time, I stood before you, silently looking down, thinking how incredibly beautiful you are, and knowing I never wanted to spend another day without you by my side. I say a word because you knew exactly what I was thinking. So, Sarah … lovely Sarah … I officially, verbally, ask you: will you marry me?" As he said these final four words he brought his hand up, holding the engagement ring he had given her once before.

He felt her sudden intake of air and the tremble that coursed through her body. She turned a quarter turn, and as she looked up into his eyes, the tears that were in her eyes sparkled in the candlelight. She was smiling; that incredible smile that had sealed Chuck Bartowski's fate way back in the _BuyMore_, the day they met. As he slipped the ring onto her finger a single tear dropped out of her left eye and ran down her cheek. As soon as the ring was nestled in it's rightful place, he reached up and wiped away the trail of that tear.

"Chuck, I never officially, verbally answered your silent question, and so, today, here in this place, I say to you: YES! Yes … with all my heart and soul … I will … I did … marry you, and want to be by your side all the days of our lives."

Now it was his turn to have tears welling up, blurring his vision. Sarah turned the rest of the way to face him and then lifted up on her toes so she could touch his lips with hers. As they held the kiss, she felt the dampness, and tasted the saltiness, as Chuck's tears dropped freely from his eyes.

When they pulled apart, he once again took her left hand and slid her wedding band onto her finger to join the diamond solitaire already there. Then he turned her hand and placed his ring in her palm. Just as she had done at their wedding … which she now remembered vividly … she took his left hand and slid the ring onto his finger. Suddenly it was no longer nighttime in _Chuck's World_ as her overwhelming smile took over his vision, shining like the sun on the deep blue ocean. Despite the scrapes on his fingers from his jump out of the truck … _had it been two days ago already?_ … the ring went on effortlessly and the feeling of it, back in place, brought joy to his heart. Now it was his turn, turning on the Bartowski smile, before they once again kissed and then embraced.

"Uh, Sarah, I have one more thing here."

"What now, hon? What could you possibly have left to give me?"

As he pulled out the charm bracelet she felt her legs getting weak and it was a good thing she was still holding on to Chuck. She finally felt secure enough to step back and then held out her right arm. He placed it on her wrist, as he had done on that Christmas Eve in the _BuyMore_.

"Wow! It really feels good to have everything back in place, doesn't it, honey?"

"Uh-huh." He paused a moment before continuing: "You are so beautiful. How did I ever get so lucky?" Chuck's smile had grown to it's mega-wattage as he finished speaking, and he sealed the deal with his Bartowski eyebrow dance.

No longer cold, an overwhelming warmth spreading through her body, Sarah returned the smile and replied, "No luck involved, sweetheart. It was all a master plan to turn a coldhearted spy into a real girl!"

"As beautiful as it is out here, Mrs. Bartowski, let's adjourn to our room and continue this in there."

"My sentiments, exactly Mr. Walker."

They continued to look into each others' eyes all the way to the bedroom and onto their bed.

They did not hear Casey and Verbanski return some time later.


	31. Epilogue

A/N: Not sure what happened yesterday with getting Chapter 30 posted (and others' postings as well). If you didn't find it yesterday, it is up now and you should go back and catch it before this one. So this is the wrap up of The Missing Spies, with the Charah, Canski, Morgalex, and even a tough of Diroan to bring it all to a happy ending. Sorry, all you who like something hanging over their heads at the end. Also, check A/N2 at the end for a hint at Season 6, Episode 4.

It's been a fun ride and I couldn't have done it without all you readers and reviewers. Thanks to one and all and I hope this brought you a smile.

It's an honor to work with these characters and I hope the true owners understand our love for them.

**XXXI. Epilogue**

**Scene 128. February 6, 2013  
****10:30 am (DC)  
****Washington, DC**

The five weary travelers were whisked to the airport, and directly into the hangar, where their plane awaited them. Despite the heavy guard around the hangar, Casey insisted on inspecting the nuke before he would board. Finding all to be well, he breathed a sigh of relief, and joined the rest of the team in the main cabin. He put his arm gently around Gertrude's shoulders as he sat, closed his eyes, and was asleep before they even left the tarmac. By 0900 they were once again in the air and all settled in for yet another long flight.

The flight was not as smooth as from Boosaaso to Madrid. There were a couple of storm systems they could not avoid, so the plane was buffeted around a bit. Fortunately, Sarah had airsickness pills for Chuck, and he rode it out in pretty good shape. Unfortunately, poor Angela was in constant pain from all the bouncing around of the plane.

They landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC and the plane went directly to a remote hangar. Once inside, with the hangar doors secured, they were finally allowed to deplane. Casey again insisted on supervising the unloading of the weapon. A team of nuclear weapons experts were ready to take possession and, after a check of their credentials, he signed off on the crate, and allowed them to load it on a truck for transport to a secure NSA/CIA lab.

Everyone else had already moved to the black limousine that was waiting at the rear of the hangar. Once Casey joined them, the women entered the limo first, followed by the men. They were all surprised to see General Beckman inside. Equally surprising, despite it being a Wednesday, and on an Air Force Base, she was not in uniform.

Sarah was shocked at how thin and drawn she looked: there were deep, dark circles under her eyes and the creases on her face seemed to have deepened. Strands of gray were visible in her hair, which was not in it's usual, well-coifed state; the sunken look of her cheeks spoke to the weight she had lost as well. Beckman pulled the much larger Sarah Bartowski into a big hug. They exchanged whispered greetings before pulling apart. Sarah expressed concern for her well-being and, as they pulled out of the hug, Diane gently touched the still visible bruise on Sarah's left cheek.

The General then shook hands with Casey, Verbanski, Marconi, and finally Chuck. Being the emotional one among them, he pulled the petite, older woman into his arms and gave her a peck on the cheek. Seeing her blush was almost worth all the pain, injuries and time apart, they had each experienced during the mission in Africa.

"I wanted to personally welcome you all home, and once again thank you for your efforts to resolve this ... uh … incident."

"Thank you's" and "glad to be back's" came from each, all at the same time, and they all looked around at each other, laughing.

"Agent Marconi, we are taking you to a CIA research facility that has a complete medical team in residence. We want to make sure you have the very best treatment, so we can get you back on your feet as soon as possible. You have shown remarkable skill and initiative during this mission, and we need you back on the job."

"Th-thank you, General," was all Angela could get out as she blushed at the compliments. She also stole a glance at Sarah, who was smiling and nodding.

If Beckman noticed the exchange, she did not say anything. However, Sarah noticed a slight shadow pass across the General's features and knew she would be questioned about it later. _That might not be a pleasant talk, especially if the General finds out I've offered a job at _Carmichael Industries_ to yet another agent._

"General, are all the nukes safely out of Somalia?" Verbanski stayed in character, thinking logically about the mission.

"Yes. The first eleven are now all onboard the _USS Boxer,_ and you flew the last one out with you."

Once they arrived at the facility, two attendants, with a wheelchair, met the car. Despite her protests, they insisted that she ride into the building rather than walk. As Angela moved into the chair, Sarah leaned out, "Angela, call me once you get settled in." Angela nodded and smiled once more.

Once the car was rolling again, Beckman turned to the other four and sighed, "I know you all need your rest; I certainly do. Hopefully we can all get some seriously needed down time. I will make sure we wrap up all the details of this mission, including the necessary remunerations due both _Verbanski Corp_ and _Carmichael Industries_. Ms. Verbanski, the UN has agreed to meet all your expenses, but I will be coordinating the payment. Then I am taking a two month leave of absence."

"That's terrific, Diane." Sarah was the only one in the car comfortable enough to call the General by her first name. "You need the time off. Since we've known you, have you ever taken a vacation? Do you have any plans?"

"Never more than a couple of days, Sarah. Uh … well … Roan and I … are, uh … going to do some traveling together." Even in the poor interior light, no one missed yet another blush moving up her neck to her cheeks … nor the smile that flitted across her lips.

"Alright, General Beckman!" At his outburst Chuck received a none too subtle jab in the ribs from Sarah's elbow. "Ow! Ummm, well ... I mean … no one deserves it more than you."

As everyone chuckled, Casey remained his serious self and asked, "Who will be our contact while you are gone?"

"We haven't determined that as yet, Mr. Casey. As I said, there are still plenty of loose ends to tie up, so I will be on the job for the foreseeable future. Let's all hope the world won't need any of you to risk your lives again during my absence. Now, if you all are willing, we will drop you off at your hotel, and then, please join me for dinner at 1800 hours. Business casual, if you please."

The limousine pulled up to the entrance to the _Park Hyatt Washington Hotel_. Casey and Verbanski both whistled softly, while Chuck and Sarah just looked out the window with jaws dropping in amazement. This was certainly not the normal CIA accommodations.

**Scene 129. February 5, 2013  
****7:00 am (LA)  
**_**Carmichael Industries**_

At 1130 hours, February 4, General Beckman called _CI_: "Mr. Grimes, I have been able to arrange air transportation for both the personnel and nuclear weapon. They will be departing Boosaaso at approximately midnight your time. Therefore, you and Ms. McHugh may stand down. Once again, you should be very proud of your contributions during this difficult time. Please convey my thanks to Ms. McHugh. I hope we have the opportunity to work together again. Good day."

"Morgan, was that the General?" Alex called from the next room before walking to the door. "I was hoping to say thank you to her for pushing so hard to rescue Dad and Gertrude."

"Well, honey, she sends her thanks to you, too, for all your work. We can stand down now. Are you ready to head home? Can we make a _Subway_ stop on the way?"

"We need to check on Miss Thompkins. She's only been here two days. Do you think we can leave her here by herself?"

"There's nothing on the schedule so we could tell her to take the rest of the day off. We better pay her for the full day though. Hate to hire her and then immediately start cutting back her hours."

"What do you think Chuck and Sarah are going to say? We did this without their knowledge, and we haven't had time to finish a complete background check on her."

"They'll be okay with it, and we did tell her, her employment would be contingent upon Sarah completing the checks. Let's get out of here before someone else calls and ruins our plans for sleeping the rest of the week."

Smiling and holding hands, Morgan and Alex closed up _Carmichael Industries_ for the day and headed home. How many days had it been since they were there?

**Later….**

Bzzzzzzz … Bzzzzzzz … Bzzzzzzz

"Morgan … Morgan …." Alex growled sleepily at her boyfriend, sprawled across the bed. "Morgan, make the fly go away." She slapped him on the shoulder and then shook him.

Bzzzzzzz….

"Sorry, Mom, we don't have school today…."

Bzzzzzzz….

Alex finally realized the buzzing sound was from Morgan's phone. She reached across him to grab the phone but was trapped when he threw his arm around her waist and began nuzzling her neck. "Stop! Stop, Morgan. Answer your stupid phone…." She struggled to get away but he was holding her tightly.

Bzzzzzzz….

"Oh, man. What the hell…."

Bzzzzzzz…

Morgan finally came awake enough to hear the phone. He was much more interested in the wonderful feeling of the lovely … and naked ... Alex, draped across him, but she was pushing away from him, so he let go and rolled away from her enough to grab the phone. "Hello? This better be a national emergency."

"Hey, Morgan, old buddy. I didn't think you were ever going to answer the phone. How are you guys doing, my man?"

"Chuuuuuck. Hey … uh … do you know it's 7:00 am here?"

There was a long pause and then, "Oh, man, I'm so sorry. I forgot to do the math. It's late afternoon here and we are still about two and a half hours out of Madrid. These time zones are killing me." When there was no reply from the other end, Chuck continued, "It's too early to be calling. I better hang up and call back later."

"No, no, no, no, don't hang up, Chuck. I'm awake now and it's great hearing your voice. So, you guys really alright?"

"Yeah … well, you know … some bumps and bruises. All in all, everyone is hail and hardy. Guess you two were burning the midnight oil over there as well. Beckman told us how much help you've been. Sarah and I really appreciate it."

"All part of the _Carmichael Industries_ service: We C.A.R.E. about our clients." Chuck smiled as he heard Morgan spouting the company line, and he could hear Alex in the background laughing as well.

Sarah grabbed the phone away from Chuck and pressed the button to put it on speaker. "Hi Morgan and Alex, so sorry we called this early. Have you two gotten any rest yet?"

When he heard Sarah's voice, Morgan put his phone on speaker as well. They both heard her question and Alex leaned towards the phone, "Hey you two. Yeah, we actually got to sleep in our own bed last night. Yea!"

"So, besides the mission, has there been anything else going on at _CI_?"

"Sarah, you won't believe it. We've been completely swamped, trying to keep track of you guys, while keeping the business open. In the past two days we've had two meetings with the patent lawyers about all the new gear, we had to hire a receptionist just so we wouldn't be spending all our time answering the phones, and four new clients have come in for their initial interviews. You two are going to be really busy when you get back here. You are coming back … right way ... aren't you?"

"Wow! That is a lot. Don't know how you did it all, but thank you, thank you!"

"Yeah, thanks to you both. We'll be back in Burbank in a day or two."

"Oh, and Chuck: Ellie's called about a million times. She's really, really mad that we wouldn't tell her anything. And, of course, she figured out that you two had to be out on a mission, so she's really PO-ed about that. You are both going to get an earful. I would suggest you call her asap; but stand way back from the phone."

Chuck and Sarah both grimaced at each other with this last bit of news. They knew Ellie would be upset if they went back into the field. They also knew they had to let her check them both out, physically and mentally, after this ordeal. Chuck, in particular, was going to get a tongue lashing when he told her about the nightmares, headaches and weird flashing at the warehouse. They were both thinking: _another fight with Ryker would be easier than facing Ellie._

"Thanks for the heads-up, little buddy. We better let you go. Get some more rest and stay out of the office for a few days. We'll just have to put everyone on hold for now. We'll be home in a couple of days. Thanks, again, for all you've done for us."

"You've both been great! See you soon." Chuck cut the connection and sagged back in his seat. "Patent lawyers? Receptionist? New clients? Now my head really hurts." Sarah, who was thinking much the same, just patted him on the shoulder and leaning in to place a kiss on his cheek.

When Morgan put the phone down on the nightstand he looked over at his adorable girlfriend. Alex was sitting up, her legs crossed, one hand on his leg. She looked very beautiful at this moment, with the morning light giving her a halo effect as it shone in from the window behind her. They stared at each other for a short time, their eyes traveling up and down each others' bodies, until Morgan took her hand and pulled her over to him. She landed across his chest, her face just above his, with her hair hanging down, enveloping both their faces. Gently leaning down she took his lips with hers and ran her tongue across his mouth. He pulled her tightly to him, their fatigue disappearing, and they had only their love for each other to think about for some time.

**Scene 130. February 6, 2013  
****11:00 am (DC)  
**_**Park Hyatt Washington Hotel**_

Chuck and Sarah barely made it into their room before devouring each other. First the bar, and then the sofa, found them in the throes of joy, as they expressed their love to each other. After a short nap on the sofa, they showered together, and then went to the bedroom, for a longer nap. All too soon their alarms woke them, so they could get ready for their dinner with Beckman.

Chuck came out of the bathroom and, despite his left leg, did a very Michael Jackson-like high knee kick and pirouette. As he struck a pose, Sarah laughed, "Wow, honey. You ready to go out dancing?"

"Well … maybe not. But do you realize, this is the first time since we left home, that I've been able to wear my Chucks? My feet as so happy with me right now." He finished this with another spin, and almost knocking the lamp off the nearby table. His smile was intoxicating and Sarah had to look away from her adorable man, or they would never get to the dinner.

A little later, Chuck was sitting on the sofa, flipping through the television channels, when Sarah walked out of the bedroom. His brain went into instant overload and he was glad he was sitting. Sarah's beautiful, long legs went on and on forever, and she had now donned a pair of her ultra high, spike heeled shoes. These accentuated those long, shapely legs, sending Chuck spiraling into a massive case of lust for the incredible goddess now standing before him.

"Chuck? Oh, Chuck? Are you still here, honey?" Sarah was snapping her fingers and waving at him, but he was too overcome with awe to answer. She was wearing her new, mid-thigh length dress, in his favorite shade of blue; a color that only served to intensify her incredible eyes, so blue they were like pieces of the sky. Her golden hair, although not as long as when they first met, still fell, in gentle waves, onto her shoulders, and perfectly complemented all the blue.

Finally he took several deep breaths, blinked a couple of times, and then shakily moved to stand before her. She ran her hands up his arms and over his shoulders to link at the back of his neck; her thumbs gently stroking his hair. His arms automatically moved around her waist and pulled her close. They gently exchanged kisses and moved as though dancing to some imaginary music, while holding each other securely. "I love you so, Sarah. You are my everything."

"As are you, for me, Chuck. I love you … and cherish all that you give to me."

After several more minutes of gently holding each other and still turning and swaying, Sarah moved back and said, "Okay, now I have to go fix my lipstick and we have to get going, or suffer the wrath of Casey and Beckman." Chuck could only stand and admire her as she moved away from him.

_**Meanwhile….**_

Casey and Verbanski's room was down the hall from Chuck and Sarah's. They stopped as Chuck inserted the keycard to their room, and opened the door. "We'll see you downstairs then, at six. Enjoy your afternoon."

Sarah waved, and they started down the hall. The Bartowskis' door had no more than closed when they heard the loud bang of something hitting the door. Verbanski started to go back but Casey grabbed her arm and pulled her on down the hall. "Damned rabbits," was all he said, adding his patented grunt, as Gertrude giggled softly.

When Gertrude came out of the bathroom, Casey had a tumbler of scotch waiting for her. Taking it, she drank deeply while looking at him over the rim of the glass. "Sooooo, Joooohn," she drew out each word suggestively. "What do you want to do this afternoon?"

Taking the glass from her hand and setting on the table, he pulled her to him. "Don't talk…." He moved his left hand to the back of her head and gripped her hair tightly, as he took her lips with his. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, while returning the intensity of the kiss. She ripped his shirt open, and worked to push it down his arms. Finally he let go of her, letting the shirt drop to the floor. The rest of their clothes soon followed.

Shadows were filling the room as the sun worked it's way across the sky and began to set. "John," Gertrude was running her fingernails around his chest, "we need to get ready for dinner with Beckman. We don't want to be late. What will Beckman think?"

"Ungh. Don't care." He looked at her thoughtfully for a few moments and then continued, "But we don't want to give the Bartowskis' any leverage, so you're right. Let's get a move on."

Beckman's impromptu dinner party was a quiet affair, with the party of five sharing what they could, about the mission, in public, and about life in general. There would be an official debriefing the next morning, so their questions and comments about the missions were held to a minimum. It was just a good time for friends to reconnect and, associates to move closer to friendships.

A final, after dinner bottle of wine had been ordered and consumed. Chuck tried to stifle a yawn but it was impossible. And like most times, once one person yawned, it traveled around the table. There was plenty of laughter to go along with this scene, and they began to move, ready to return to their rooms.

"A car will be here at 0900 to take you to Langley for the debriefing. It is going to be a long one, I'm afraid. But you should be able to head home the day after. Are you all headed to Burbank?"

"Yes, Gener … Diane." At the beginning of the evening, Beckman had insisted everyone call her Diane … for the evening. Sarah and Gertrude had no problem, but the two men were still uncomfortable with it. "I want to see Alex and the moron."

"And we can take care of the company business in the LA office," Gertrude added. "Are we still on track to have Amaani brought to the States?" Beckman had pulled some strings to get her brought stateside, in Verbanski's custody. There would still be some legal issues to deal with, but at least she was out of the clutches of the pirates.

"Very well. I will make the arrangements, but departure will be fluid until we see how tomorrow goes. Yes, Amaani should be in California a day or two later."

"Diane, is Roan in town?"

"No, Sarah, I will be joining him once I can pull away from here."

"Please say hello from Chuck and me. You two enjoy your time together."

With that, everyone stood and said their goodnights.

The two couples again rode the elevator up to their floor, and as Chuck and Sarah were entering their room, Casey called out, "Hey, you two. See if you can wait long enough not to dent the inside of the door." He smiled a wicked smile at them, and then turned to walk to his room.

Sarah and Chuck looked at each other sheepishly, watching the blush grow on each of their faces, before breaking out in laughter.

**Scene 131: February 7, 8, 2013  
****12:00 pm (DC)  
****Langley to Burbank**

The debriefing went amazing well. The CIA/NSA suits were all pleased with the final analysis by the team. Everyone agreed that more assets were going to be needed to keep an eye on the Somalis. Even though the entire leadership structure of the _Arann'te_ had been captured or killed, these types of terrorist organizations tended to grow more heads when the originals were cut off.

Officially, Agent Marconi would still have to be interviewed, once she was feeling better, but unofficially, the case was being considered closed. Both _Verbanski Corp_ and _Carmichael Industries_ were thanked for their contributions, and assured there would be more independent work coming their way.

Chuck and Sarah were questioned as to the availability of the tech support hardware and software, but told them, in no uncertain terms, that it was the sole property of _CI,_ and they were going to be very protective of who had access to it. They would be happy, however, to do contract work for DARPA. That eased the administrators' concerns, but far from satisfied them. Privately, General Beckman told the two she was quite proud of them for standing up for themselves.

After they returned to the hotel, Chuck and Sarah rented a car, and drove out to visit Angela. She was doing well and already looking stronger. She did, in fact, have two broken ribs and the rough flight to DC had caused one to puncture her lung. So she was going to be under the doctors' supervision for another week. Otherwise, she was doing fine, actually enjoying the down time. Even the food was brought in, and was much better quality than normal hospital fare.

Sarah reminded her they expected her to come visit, but only after she spent some time with her family. "If the CIA starts pressuring you to get back to work, just call me and I will call in a few favors. Time for them to pay us back for all we've done for them this past month or so."

Now, they were once again on a jet, headed to Bob Hope Airport, Burbank, California … home! Beckman had again ridden with them from the hotel to Andrews Air Force Base. They were driven into the same hangar as when they arrived from Madrid, and were permitted to exit the car only after all the hangar doors were closed. It was probably an unnecessary precaution, but they were all appreciative of the respect and attention the Air Force was giving them.

About half way home, Verbanski called her office in LA and arranged for them to be met at the airport. Beckman had also arranged special landing privileges for them, so the _VCorp_ SUV met them at a remote area at the back of the airport. They were rolling away from the jet in less than five minutes.

Chuck and Sarah now owned the apartment that had been the Woodcombs' and offered it to Casey and Verbanski. They quickly agreed, as it would make it easier to visit Alex and Morgan.

So, at 4:20 pm, 36 days after Casey and Gertrude left on their UN mission, and 15 days after Chuck and Sarah departed to rescue them, the four weary, battle-worn, travelers walked into the courtyard at Echo Park. It was like stepping into their own little, private world, where they felt safe, and could finally relax.

Alex and Morgan were waiting for them: Casey only made it about ten feet before Alex was in his arms, sobbing into his shoulder. Morgan and Chuck embraced as well, which Sarah joined a few seconds later. Morgan disengaged and moved towards Gertrude, but neither knew how to greet each other, spending a couple of awkward moments trying to decide whether to hug or shake hands. They finally did hug but it was much like a Casey hug, from the early years of the team. Alex finally calmed down enough to pull away and moved into Gertrude's arms. _I don't know if I will ever get used to all this_, Gertrude thought, while trying her best to comfort the still crying girl.

"Oh my God ... oh my God; Home at last ... home at last! I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to make it." They both moved to the bedroom and just dropped their luggage. Chuck plopped unceremoniously onto the bed face down. Rolling over he looked at his lovely wife and held his arms up toward her. She laid down next to him and snuggled in, her head on his chest, their legs entwined, and her left hand enveloped in his right.

"Hmmmmmm … it is so good to be back. I didn't realize how much I missed this place until just now." She lifted her head, gave her wonderful husband a gentle kiss on the cheek, and then laid her head back down on his shoulder. "Perfect…."

They were both asleep in minutes.

**FINIS**

**A/N2:**

Coming next on _**Chuck **_(S6E4): _Chuck vs. The Sting of Steele_.

"Hi Darlin'; this is your Dad."

"Hey Dad, how are you?"

"Sarah, you know I'm not one to ask for help, but I'm in serious trouble, and only you can help."

"What is it? What can we do?"

"A con went sour and someone is trying to kill me, Sarah. I need your help, but you and I need to keep the schnook out of it ... for both your sakes."

"Dad..."

Can Sarah help her dad, while keeping Chuck in the dark? And should she...?


End file.
